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Courts back green cause: Balakrishnan

Staff Reporter

LEGAL LUMINARIES: Chief Justice of India K.G. Balakrishnan, centre, and Chief Justice of Kerala H.L. Dattu, left, with the former judge of the Supreme Court V.R. Krishna Iyer at a memorial lecture in the city on Monday. — Photo: Vipinchandran

KOCHI: Indian judiciary is respected worldwide because of its concern for environment, and when the other agencies failed, courts had acted to protect the environment, Chief Justice of India K.G. Balakrishnan said here on Monday.

Inaugurating the Sixth S. Eswara Iyer Memorial Law Lecture, the Chief Justice described the theme of the lecture, environmental law, as very appropriate.

India lagged in legislation for environmental protection, and even when other agencies had failed to implement environmental laws, the court acted to do so. The court had intervened to end illegal constructions, encroachments on forests and so on.The Chief Justice recalled his association with S. Eswara Iyer, who was a versatile personality well versed in all aspects of law. He was adept at interpretation of the Constitution and handling criminal cases.

Before the inauguration of the lecture, the former Judge of the Supreme Court V.R. Krishna Iyer was felicitated. Mr. Balakrishnan presented a memento, while Chief Justice of Kerala H.L. Dattu draped a shawl.

In his reply, Mr. Krishna Iyer said that he was happy to be present at lecture in memory of Eswara Iyer, one of his intimate friends and an expert in various aspects of the law.

He was a humorous person and a great parliamentarian, Mr. Krishna Iyer added.

P. Leelakrishnan, former head of the Department of Law, Cochin University of Science and Technology, delivered the lecture on "Environmental jurisprudence and the Kerala scenario."

V.K. Beeran, senior advocate, welcomed the gathering. The presidential address was delivered by C.S. Rajan, president of the S. Eswara Iyer Law Foundation. Advocate-General C.P. Sudhakara Prasad and M.K. Damodaran, former Advocate-General and vice-president of the foundation, spoke. A.D. Krishnan Asan, treasurer, proposed a vote of thanks.

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