Rational Utilisation of Time    

Speech Sub-titles:

INTRODUCT ION        
MOTILAL  SETALVAD      
TODAY’S TOPIC      
CANONS Versus PRINCIPLES  

   "JUDICIAL ETHICS – A definition"    
"ATTEMPTED CODIFICATION OF CANONS OF JUDICIAL ETHICS"

   "Things necessary to be continually had in remembrance"     
"THE CONCEPT OF JUDGESHIP IN GITA"

 

               
Hon’ble Shri R.C. Lahoti,  
Chief Justice of India  
First M.C. Setalvad Memorial Lecture  
 Tuesday, 22nd Februa ry, 2005.     
at The Gulmohar Hall, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road,  New Delhi . India.
[ for exact contents of Lecture visit official web site of Supreme Court of India http://www.supremecourtofindia.nic.in/judges_speech]

Speech Sub-titles:

 "THREE DOCUMENTS :     
(i) Restatement of Values of Judicial Life (1999)     
                                                                       (ii) The Bangalore Draft Principles   
(iii) The oath or affirmation by Judge"

    "Oath of a Judge _  analysed "     "Independence and Impartiality"         
"Four Qualities in a Judge" 

 "Conduct of Judge in private"     "Patience and Tolerance" 
"Rational Utilisation of  Time"       "EPILOGUE"

Rational Utilisation of Time  

On the day I was sworn in as a Judge of the High Court, Chief Justice (Retd.) G.G. Sohani, an illustrious Judge of the High Court of Madhya Pradesh, later the Chief Justice of Patna High Court very affectionately told me a few do’s and don’ts for any judge.  Amongst other things, he told me that working hours of the court are meant for discharging only judicial work.  No part of judicial working hours should be diverted to administrative work.  Full Court and Administrative Committee meetings should be invariably held on non-working days or, before or after court sitting hours.  The judges are not supposed to proceed on leave unless and until the absence is unavoidable.  The judges are also not supposed to participate in ceremonial functions like inaugurations or delivering lectures by abstaining themselves from the court.  All this does not tantamount to saying that a judge should neither relax nor rejuvenate himself.  Vacations are meant for rejuvenating the health of the judges so that they feel fit and also for reading so as to update their knowledge of law.  They must also spend a fixed time every day and in weekends with their family members so as to concentrate on judicial work during working hours.  I would treat this as a part of judicial ethics. 

I am reminded of a Chief Justice, who speaking at a farewell function, marking the occasion of his demitting the office, made a witty remark ___ “After my retirement, I would like to interview the wives of the Judges and collect information from them as to what prevented them for not divorcing their husbands so far”.  Justice Devitt wrote in ‘Ten Commandments for the New Judge’ ___ “The greatest deterrent to a judge’s taking himself too seriously in any respect is a wise and observing wife who periodically will remark, ‘Darling! Don’t be so Judgey’ ”.[32]
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[31] Ezekiel Malekar, Lessons on Patience and Tolerance, The Speaking Tree, The Times of India.
[32] E.C. GERHART, Quote It, p.290