Chandigarh: Days after he joined the Punjab and Haryana High Court, following his much talked about transfer from the Delhi HC, Justice S. Muralidhar has asked lawyers addressing his court to avoid referring to him as “My lord” or “Your lordship”.
“It is for the information of respected members of the bar that Hon’ble Dr S Muralidhar has requested that they may try and avoid addressing him as ‘Your Lordship’ or ‘My Lord’. All concerned the note please,” said a single-sentence note attached to his Division Bench’s cause list for Monday.
Muralidhar is the second most senior judge in the Punjab and Haryana HC, where he is heading the second division bench. He joined the court in Chandigarh on 6 March.
The Supreme Court collegium had cleared his transfer on 12 February, but it was embroiled in a controversy as the transfer was notified on the night of 26 February, less than 24 hours after a bench headed by Justice Muralidhar, during a midnight hearing, pulled up the Delhi Police over the communal riots that rocked that national capital that week.
Also read: Proud to be Delhi HC judge, have no problem with transfer — Justice Muralidhar at farewell
Similar instructions in the past
Justice S. Muralidhar’s “request” to the bar is not new. He has made similar requests during his tenure in the Delhi High Court too.
In July last year, the Rajasthan High Court had also asked all lawyers to stop addressing judges as ‘My lord’ and ‘Your lordship’. The decision was taken unanimously in a full court meeting to “honour the mandate of equality enshrined in the Constitution”.
While hearing a PIL in 2014, the Supreme Court had said judges should be addressed respectfully and in a dignified manner, but it was not compulsory to call them ‘My lord’, ‘Your lordship’ or ‘Your honour’. The observation was made by a division bench of Justice H.L. Dattu and Justice S.A. Bobde, who is now the Chief Justice of India.
On its part, the Bar Council of India (BCI) had in 2006 said addressing judges as ‘My lord’ or ‘Your lordship’ was a “relic of India’s colonial past”. Despite the BCI resolution, the practice of addressing judges as such has continued in most high courts across the country as well as in the Supreme Court.
Also read: Justice Muralidhar — fitness freak Delhi HC judge who has a fan-following like no other
हमारा देश विश्व का सबसे बड़ा लोकतंत्र है एवम् सबसे बड़ी विशेषता है कि यहां कानून का एक ही मापदंड है कि RULE is based on RELATIONSHIP .
जब खुद पर गुजरती है तब पता चलता है मेरी दृष्टि बंधिता और बहु विकलांग 14 बर्ष की पुत्री के इलाज और शिक्षा के लिए दिल्ली से मुंबई ट्रांसफर सिर्फ सरकारी वकील के मौखिक तर्क के आधार पर किया जब की मेरे द्वारा मुंबई में चिकित्सा वा शिक्षा की अनुलब्धता के प्रमाण लगाए और इनके आदेश के आधार पर में बहुत परेसानी उठाते हुए मुंबई आ गया और यह पर बच्ची का इलाज वा शिक्षा ना होने के कारण बच्ची एक वर्ष से इलाज वा शिक्षा से वंचित है इसको कहते है कि उप्पर बाले की लाठी में आवाज नहीं होती है और यह शायद इनको वाखुवी पता चल गया होगा wp 2208/2018 दिल्ली हाईकोर्ट
Very True
ReJect BJP
?Boycott BJP save India save constitution
His transfer made to Punjab then when he hears case on Delhi riots Delhi police he give clear justice then BJP transfered him to another state court shame on you BJP BJP is RSS godse ideology based party BOYCOTT BJP Save India Save constitution
All ways respect should be there
It should be welcomed.
Your lordship or My lord .. these words indeed represents British days custom. Respect necessarily need not sound to bend. It’s a real decision to stop calling like that.
Judges who say this need not be honest. Do not commit this mistake. Kapil Birbal does not want to call his appointees ” My Lord”. So Muraliwala strictly obeys him.
इस देश में न्याय मांगने से नहीं मिलता है छैना पड़ता है
भाई मुद्दा क्या है, आप बोल क्या रहे हैं!! हमेशा छीनने झपटने की बात क्यों ? शराफत दिखाइए
There are many upright judges who uphold justice and protect honest people.Without judiciary one cannot imagine a life in India.Justice Muralidhar’s statement shows his modesty which should be appreciated by one and all.Such judges deserve to be addressed as Your Lordship though they may not like it.
Agreed.
Excellent statement, judges cannot be lord.may all corrupt judges also follow him as only honest person can say this
Judiciary has lost respect anyway…..
So it makes no difference if called my lord or my l..nd