Chief Justice of India Surya Kant urged creation of a national framework to utilise retired judges in ADR and legal awareness, stressing their engagement must be institutional, while noting, “The robe may be retired, the judge never is.”
The Chief Justice of India (CJI), Surya Kant, proposed the establishment of a formal national database of retired judges.
Delivered during his keynote address at a conference organized by the Association of Retired Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts, the CJI’s proposal aims to utilize the vast experience of retired jurists for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), legal education, and awareness programs.
CJI Kant argued that a judge’s departure from active service should not signal the end of their contribution to the public, noting that while the specific office may cease, the judicial role endures.
Regarding this, he stated,
“When a judge retires, we arrange a function. We garland them, we present a shawl, and we speak warmly of decades of distinguished service. Then, we quietly assume that the show will go on as usual even without them. The chamber is vacated. The files are handed over. And we move on. However that critical assumption is, in my view, among our most wasteful traditions. For the robe may be retired. The judge never is. It is a truth universally known that once a judge, is always a judge.”
Further emphasizing the need for a structured national framework, the Chief Justice asserted that integrating retired judges into ADR and educational initiatives must be formalized.
He stressed that such engagement should be categorized as institutional service complete with dignity, necessary support, and accountability rather than being viewed merely as informal volunteerism.
