Justice MS Sonak bid farewell to the Bombay High Court before assuming charge as Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court. He urged the Bar to guide the judiciary and said criticism strengthens the institution despite discomfort and challenges.
MUMBAI: Justice MS Sonak bid farewell to the Bombay High Court before assuming his role as Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court. In his speech he stated “It is a crime to remain silent when there is a duty to speak,”
During a full court reference, Justice Sonak called on the Bar to serve as a moral, spiritual, and intellectual mentor to the judiciary. He acknowledged that while criticism of judges might be uncomfortable, it is crucial for the well being of the institution.
Justice Sonak was born on November 28, 1964 and completed his schooling at Don Bosco High School in Panaji, Goa. He earned a B.Sc. from Dhempe College of Arts & Science and an LL.B. from M. S. College of Law in Panaji, Goa affiliated with Bombay University, graduating with First Class honors. He also received a diploma in the Portuguese language from the Xavier Centre of Historical Research.
In October 1988, he registered as an Advocate with the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa and practiced at the Panaji Bench of the High Court of Judicature at Bombay. His areas of focus included civil and constitutional law, labor and service law, environmental law, commercial and tax law, company law, and public interest litigations.
Justice Sonak also served as Additional Standing Counsel for the Central Government and as Special Counsel for the State Government and statutory corporations. He was appointed as an Additional Judge of the High Court of Judicature at Bombay on June 21, 2013.
Justice Sonak, in his farewell speech said that,
“Our institution, which we deeply love and respect, will not remember the insults or even the berating of our enemies. But it will be sad and difficult for our institution to forget and forgive the silence of the Bar, whose members are its legitimate guards and guardians,”
Underlining that the Bar has a responsibility to intervene both for the institution and the Constitution he reiterated that
“it is a crime to remain silent when there is a duty to speak,”
Justice Sonak referred to the Bar as the judge of the judges not in a spirit of hostility, but of guardianship.
Also Read: Supreme Court Collegium Orders Major Reshuffle, Transfers 21 High Court Judges
Explaining that a judge often embodies the Bar’s study, research, courage, and integrity, he noted that,
“No judge can ever rise above the calibre of the Bar that produces him or her,”
He warned that judges might be harmed more by praise than helped by criticism.
He further remarked,
“Praising judges for their mythical excellence is fine; we all appreciate that. But correcting a judge if they stray from the path of rectitude is infinitely better and critically crucial,”
Additionally, Justice Sonak became the first person in Goa to register a ‘living will’ or advance medical directive, a document that allows individuals with deteriorating or terminal health to indicate their wishes regarding life support should they become unable to do so.
FOLLOW US ON YOUTUBE FOR MORE LEGAL UPDATES
