CJI Chandrachud Pays Glowing Tributes To Outgoing SC Judge Hima Kohli, Calls Her Voice Of Reason

Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said Supreme Court judge Hima Kohli has underlined that women who enter the profession are not mere subsets, and their issues are broader issues of the profession and justice.

New Delhi:Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Friday paid glowing tributes to outgoing Supreme Court judge Hima Kohli, hailing her as a "voice of reason" and a person who stood for the rule of law. He lauded her sensitivity and sound judicial decision-making.

Speaking at a farewell function, Justice Chandrachud said Justice Kohli was a "role model" for budding lawyers, especially women advocates. Justice Kohli will be retiring on September 1 after serving at the top court for more than three years. With her retirement, the Supreme Court will be left with only two women judges-Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice Bela M Trivedi.

The farewell function was organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) at the apex court premises. Judges of the top court, bar leaders, including senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal, lawyers and judges from Delhi and Telangana high courts also attended the event.

CJI Chandrachud, who was her batchmate at St. Stephen's College and the Campus Law Centre, profusely praised Kohli for her achievements. "Justice Kohli has been a voice of reason. She stands for rule of law, sensitivity and sound judicial decision-making. She is a role model to many budding lawyers, judges and legal professionals who chart the unconventional, untrodden paths. She has used her voice to mainstream issues facing women in the profession," he said.

Earlier in the day, the CJI, while heading a ceremonial bench to bid farewell to Justice Kohli said, "She is not just a woman judge but also a fierce protector of the rights of women." Born on September 2, 1959, in Delhi, Justice Kohli went to the St. Thomas School, New Delhi, and graduated with honours in History from St. Stephen's College.

She was appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court on August 31, 2021 after having served in the Delhi High Court as a judge and the chief justice of the Telangana High Court. In her address, Justice Kohli said she was not retiring but "re-attiring" herself for the next journey of her life.

Recalling her stint as an apex court judge, she said, "I've had the pleasure of being a part of constitutional benches that were addressed by the best legal brains in the country. Those arguments not only expanded the horizons of one's mind, they also threw up several constitutional challenges and kept one alive and ticking in every which way."

CJI Chandrachud said Justice Kohli has underlined that women who enter the profession are not mere subsets and their issues are broader issues of the profession and of justice. "As the chairperson of the Supreme Court's Gender Sensitisation and Internal Complaints Committee she has maintained that gender justice is central to a just society," he said.

Terming the journey of Justice Kohli as a journey of impeccable strength, courage and grit, the CJI said she was a first-generation lawyer at a time when law was hardly considered the chosen path by women.

"In her engagement with the Bar and in her interactions with young students, she brims with the desire to give back what she received from her mentors. She puts her strengths behind 'WILL' - Women in Law and Litigation', which provides institutional support to young women entering the profession.

"From seeing high drop-out rates among women lawyers, to now creating institutional safeguards for young women, Justice Kohli has led by example," he added. The CJI highlighted some important judgements of which Justice Kohli was a part, including the same-sex marriage case, services dispute between the Centre and the Delhi government, and those concerning citizens' right to health, to principles of just punishment.

Justice Kohli's strong observations on misleading advertisements of Yoga Guru Ramdev's Patanjali Group hogged the limelight recently along with her equally strong views on the Indian Medical Association president's statement against the judiciary.

Recalling the unprecedented swearing-in of nine judges of the Supreme Court at one go on August 31, 2021, Justice Kohli said, "Nine of us have built a special bond of affection for each other and call ourselves 'we nine'. My senior colleagues and those who joined us after that have also weaved their way into my life."

Referring to how apex court judges are "furiously working" through huge briefs, Justice Kohli said, "After all, we are here to serve the public, who are the real consumers of justice."

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