New Delhi, Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya on Monday said he joined the Bar's sentiments on transfer of Justices Arun Monga and Tara Vitasta Ganju.
Justice Monga and Justice Ganju have been transferred to the Rajasthan High Court and the Karnataka High Court, respectively. Their transfers, especially of Justice Ganju, faced strong opposition from various Bar bodies.
Delhi High Court Bar Association , DHCBA women lawyers and members of various other bars, including senior advocate Vikas Pahwa, had written to Chief Justice of India B R Gavai, voicing their opposition to Justice Ganju's transfer.
Speaking at the full court reference to bid farewell to Justices Monga and Ganju, Chief Justice Upadhyaya said, "Let me first of all state before you that I respect the sentiments of members of the Bar on the transfer of our colleagues from this court... I would again express all my good wishes to both my colleagues and I join the Bar in their sentiment expressed through the president today."
Justice Monga thanked the DHCBA for acting as an "adoptive parent" when he first moved to Delhi and began his journey as a lawyer.
He said it is rightly said that a judge must not speak in public and his judgements should speak for him.
{{/usCountry}}He said it is rightly said that a judge must not speak in public and his judgements should speak for him.
{{/usCountry}}"A judge's true voice is not in speeches or appearances, but in the reasoning, restraint and reflection left behind in his judgements. Those words, once written, become our quiet conversation with the law and with those who follow it," he said.
Within every judgement, Justice Monga said, lies more than text as it carries the conviction of a judge, his sense of fairness, his understanding of human nature and his reflections on life.
Addressing the gathering, Justice Ganju said the judiciary is not a mere arbiter of disputes, but also a guardian of constitutional promise, promise of liberty, equality and justice for all.
"It is our solemn duty to ensure that the law remains a shield for the weak and not a sword for the powerful. The confidence of the people in this institution is its greatest strength and that confidence must be preserved through integrity, independence and transparency," she said.
Giving a piece of advice to the young members of the bar, Justice Ganju said they are the future of this profession and they should cultivate discipline, humility and patience.
"A true measure of an advocate is not the number of cases argued, but the fairness and dignity with which they are conducted. Never lose sight of the fact that the profession of law, above all else, is a service to the court, to your clients and to society," she said.
She said she was conscious that working late into the night or on weekends has, at times, invited criticism or misunderstanding, yet she has never regarded diligence as a fault.
"The demands of justice do not always keep to the clock, and our foremost duty must remain to the nation and to the litigants who seek relief from us. Personal comfort or even the prospect of disapproval cannot outweigh the obligation we owe to the cause of justice," she said.
Justice Ganju further said change is an inseparable part of a judge's life, yet some transitions are harder than others.
She said saying goodbye to this court, a place that has shaped her, her career and her very understanding of justice, stirs deep emotions.
While thanking every lawyer who appeared before her for their assistance and courtesy, she said if she was ever firm in the court, it was only in the larger interest of maintaining decorum and discipline that this noble institution demands.
DHCBA president and senior advocate N Hariharan, meanwhile, said that the Bar felt deep anguish over the transfers.
He flagged concerns over "frequent" judicial transfers in recent times, while calling for a need to uphold judicial independence.
"Judicial independence is not a privilege of judges, but the people's right and only an independent judiciary can safeguard their liberties," he said.
"We are not at the point of confrontation, but the anguish needs to be expressed. As members of the Bar, we feel that if we stay quiet, we would be abdicating our duties. It is in this backdrop that we have gathered here today and bid farewell to the two judges," Hariharan said.
Justice Monga was transferred to Delhi from the Rajasthan High Court. He took the oath of office here in July 2025.
Justice Ganju was appointed as a judge of the Delhi High Court in May 2022.
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