‘Learning is a life-long process’: SC judge justice Murari in farewell speech

The CJI DY Chandrachud complimented Supreme Court judge justice Krishna Murari saying due to the efforts put in by him and others present on the bench, the hearing of the case could be concluded in a “paperless” manner

Supreme Court judge justice Krishna Murari, who was part of two recent significant Constitution bench decisions in the Maharashtra political crisis and the Delhi-Centre tiff over control of services, on Friday while demitting office, said ‘learning is a life-long’ process recounting how at the age of 65, he was forced to operate I-pad and laptop during the constitution bench hearings where all proceedings were paperless.

Supreme Court judge justice Krishna Murari retired on Saturday (Twitter Photo)

He was speaking at a function organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA)

Recalling his first day sitting on the bench hearing the Delhi-Centre power tussle, justice Murari in his farewell speech said, “The first day was embarrassing. I was unable to operate my I-pad.”

That evening, justice Murari said, he asked his law clerks to teach him how to operate the device and practised it over and over again, till he was confident of navigating through the digital records. Citing this experience, he added, “Learning is a life-long process,” while giving his farewell speech.

The quick learner trait in justice Murari came for praise even by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud who spoke on the occasion. The CJI complimented justice Murari and said that due to the efforts put in by him and others present on the bench, the hearing of the case could be concluded in a “paperless” manner.

The CJI further hailed the contribution justice Murari to the legal profession and said he conducted his court with a great sense of equanimity and humility. The CJI described him as a “humble craftsman” who dedicated his life to law and those affected by it.

Justice Murari, who got elevated as a judge of the Allahabad high court in 2004 went on to become the Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana high court in June 2018, a post he occupied till his elevation to the Supreme Court in September 2019.

During his tenure in Supreme Court spanning three years and eight months, justice Murari was part of several significant verdicts. In October 2020, he was part of the decision by the Supreme Court which held that public ways and public spaces cannot be indefinitely occupied for holding protests, referring to the protests at Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh.

In April this year, justice Murari was in the news for a ruling on default bail where he held that the fundamental right of an accused to get default bail cannot be scuttled by probe agencies by keeping a person in custody even when the probe has not been completed. A review filed by the Centre against this ruling is pending in the top court.

In yet another significant decision, justice Murari was part of a bench that held advocate Prashant Bhushan guilty of contempt in August 2020.

Justice Murari revealed that throughout his judicial career spanning more than 19 years, he has never had a tiff with any member of the bar. The CJI attributed this quality to the judge’s calm, perfect demeanour.