SCBA President Vikas Singh hailed Justice BR Gavai for restoring the dignity of lawyers and strengthening the bond between bar and bench. He credited the outgoing CJI for ensuring fair treatment, accessibility, and respect for the legal community.
New Delhi: In a heartfelt farewell event organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), its President Vikas Singh praised outgoing Chief Justice of India Justice B R Gavai for restoring the respect and dignity of the legal fraternity.
Speaking at the function held in honour of Justice Gavai, Singh said the former CJI strongly believed that lawyers and judges together form the backbone of the justice system and must work with mutual respect.
He said that ever since Justice Gavai took charge as the Chief Justice of India, he made efforts to bring back several practices which were earlier stopped, and which had caused great inconvenience to lawyers.
Singh highlighted how the system of urgent mentioning before the court and circulation of letters were revived, which helped the bar function more smoothly and with dignity.
“When he (CJI Gavai) became the Chief Justice of India, he immediately restored the mentioning which was stopped earlier. He restored the letter circulation, which was a big problem at the bar.
The SCBA president said.
“He actually truly restored the dignity of the bar, which is what we all want. Basically, as lawyers, we want only to be given a dignified hearing; we want to be treated properly. It is not that we want our matters to be decided in our favour. We want that one should be treated properly in the process of this justice delivery, which he ensured,”
Singh further pointed out that both Justice Gavai and incoming CJI Justice Surya Kant are first-generation lawyers, which sends a strong and positive message to young law students and aspiring advocates who do not have any family background in the legal profession.
He said their rise proves that merit and dedication can overcome barriers like favouritism.
Singh said.
“This is important because a lot of people talk about nepotism in the profession and about elevation (as judges). If there had been nepotism, then this could never have happened,”
Recalling personal experiences, Singh spoke about the difficulties the bar earlier faced due to lack of proper facilities for events.
He narrated an incident during the function for Justice Indu Malhotra, where unexpected rain created chaos due to the absence of a proper venue, something that later changed under Justice Gavai’s leadership.
The SCBA president said.
“I remember we were doing the function of Justice Indu Malhotra in the garden, and it started raining. And it was an unexpected rain, so we had only one umbrella. So that umbrella we had to ultimately put only in front of Justice Malhotra because she was the biggest VIP of that day. This was the problem that the bar was facing,”
He also appreciated that despite reaching the highest judicial office, Justice Gavai remained humble and approachable, and his attitude towards lawyers never changed.
Singh said Justice Gavai continued to treat members of the bar with equal respect and concern, reinforcing the idea that the bar and bench are partners in the justice delivery system.
The SCBA president said.
“He remained the same as CJI, equally accessible, equally concerned, and with an equal amount of acceptance that bar and bench are two equal parts, two sides of the same coin,”
Vikas Singh also praised several landmark judgments delivered during Justice Gavai’s tenure, stating that they clearly reflected his commitment to protecting citizens’ rights and upholding constitutional values.
He particularly referred to the bulldozer justice case, where the court stressed that punishment cannot be arbitrary and must follow due process of law.
“In the bulldozer justice case, he said, just because somebody is in conflict with the law, his building should not be demolished. It is not justified. The demolition should happen with a proper show of notice.”
The SCBA president said.
“It should happen to people uniformly in that area, and you can’t just pick up one house because this person is in conflict with the law, and demolish his house. So that is something which shows concern for the individual’s rights,”
He also highlighted Justice Gavai’s strong stand on personal liberty, stating that the outgoing CJI reaffirmed the fundamental legal principle that freedom should not be taken away easily.
“He said that outgoing CJI Gavai’s judgment on individual liberty brought back the legal principle that bail is the rule and jail is the exception.”
The farewell event concluded with widespread appreciation for Justice Gavai’s contribution to the judiciary, with SCBA members acknowledging his role in strengthening the confidence of lawyers in the judicial system and ensuring fairness, respect, and transparency in court proceedings.
Click Here To Read More Reports on CJI B.R. Gavai
