SHILLONG, MARCH 25: Justice T Meena Kumari was sworn in as the first chief justice of the Meghalaya High Court that was inaugurated by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Altamas Kabir here on Monday.
The CJI later in the day also flew to Imphal to inaugurate the Manipur High Court, and will also inaugurate the Tripura High Court on Tuesday.
Kabir said the inauguration of the three High Courts in the north-east was a fulfillment of an overdue pledge in the Constitution that each state should have its own high courts. “When Justice T Meena Kumari was sworn in as the first Chief Justice of the High Court of Meghalaya and the inauguration of the High Court itself is a fulfillment of that pledge in the Constitution that each state should have its own high court,” he said at the inaugural function.
Stating that the High Court was something that was long due, Kabir said his several visits to the region made him realise that the people here wanted to know what the legal system in the mainland was and why things cannot be integrated in such a way so that everybody becomes part of this great country.
Acknowledging that the people of the north-east have special laws and customs, Justice Kabir said all these need to be integrated. “The new High Courts here will go a long way in trying to fulfill the aspirations of the people.”
Earlier, Union minister for law and justice Ashwani Kumar said the operationalization of the High Court “will bring justice to the doorsteps of the people and will ensure a credible and expeditious justice and justice according to the traditions, justice according to the local customs and realities of this area.”
“It is historic because since 1972 when Meghalaya (and Manipur besides Tripura) was created, there was a persistent demand of the people to have their own high courts… I have no doubt that the Meghalaya High Court will become a shining example of the Independence of Judiciary as well as the quality of justice that will be rendered in the years ahead,” he added.
In the ultimate analysis, the law minister said, the quality of justice, the quality judgments and the quality of advocacy is what will make you (respective Chief Justices of the three High Courts) and the people of the state proud. “An able bar and a fiercely independent judiciary will together help deliver that promise of the Constitution which is all so dear to our hearts,” he added.
Quoting jurist O Wendell Holmes’ that the life of law is not logic but experience, Kumar said: “You can cloak the law by words but actually the spirit of the law is in the spirit of the people who are the beneficiaries of the law…That is why we need to have respect for local traditions, customs and understanding. That realization will enable us to make law a living experiment relevant to the aspirations and sensitivities of the people for whom law is meant.”
In his inaugural speech, Meghalaya chief minister Mukul Sangma said the inauguration of the Meghalaya High Court was a fructification of the dreams of the people of the state and thanked the CJI for having kept his promise without losing much time.
Sangma said justice was crucial to democracy and he firmly believed that expeditious trial and disposal of cases create an environment where people automatically develop high respect and fear for law. “This itself is so crucial to enable people to self regulate in a civilized society,” he added. (By Our Reporter)
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