Home / Punjab / ‘No, no… each the Lordships near successful 1947’: Punjab and Haryana HC Chief Justice Sheel Nagu
The reflection came successful unfastened tribunal erstwhile an advocator referred to the Chief Justice arsenic ‘Your Lordship’
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Chief Justice Sheel Nagu has subtly signalled a departure from colonial-era courtroom formalities, becoming the latest among judges to explicit disapproval of being addressed arsenic “My Lord” oregon “Your Lordship” by members of the Bar.
The reflection came successful unfastened tribunal erstwhile an advocator referred to him arsenic “Your Lordship”. Interrupting mildly but firmly, the Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice responded: “No, no. All the lordships person near this seashore of India successful 1947. We are either ‘Sir’ oregon we are ‘Your Honour’. That’s all.”
Though brief, the remark was unmistakably steadfast successful its law undertone — a reiteration of equality arsenic the bedrock of judicial functioning successful a antiauthoritarian republic.
In doing so, Chief Justice Nagu became portion of a discerning contented wrong the judiciary that is consciously distancing itself from colonial-era honorifics. Lawyers judge this quiescent but deliberate displacement is not a rejection of courtroom decorum, but a reaffirmation of law values — favouring egalitarian connection implicit inherited symbols of subjugation. The message, subtle yet firm, is clear: successful a antiauthoritarian republic, respect is owed to the office, not owed done relics of the Raj.
The question of whether judges should beryllium addressed arsenic “My Lord” oregon “Your Lordship” has agelong sparked debate. While immoderate advocates proceed with the convention, others reason that specified expressions are outdated symbols of subjugation, retired of sync with the values of a sovereign democracy. The Bar, too, has astatine times weighed in.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association passed a solution successful April 2011, urging members to wantonness the “symbol of slavery” and alternatively code judges arsenic “Sir”. The Association went a measurement further, informing of “strict action” against those not complying with the directive.
Similarly, successful March 2021, Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi of the Punjab and Haryana High Court enactment it connected grounds that helium preferred not to beryllium addressed arsenic “My Lord” oregon “Your Lordship”.
“What other tin beryllium a amended indicator of equality earlier law?” a retired High Court justice remarked, hailing the enactment arsenic a conscious interruption from the assemblage ineligible vesture that continues to linger successful courtroom practice.
At the apex level, too, discomfort with the usage has surfaced. The Supreme Court itself has clarified connected aggregate occasions that determination exists nary compulsion — ineligible oregon procedural — to usage the word “My Lord”. In fact, the tribunal has stressed that immoderate signifier of code is acceptable truthful agelong arsenic it is respectful and dignified.
During a Supreme Court proceeding successful 2014, a Bench made it wide that specified formality was optional. “When did we accidental it is compulsory? You tin lone telephone america successful a dignified manner... Don’t code america arsenic ‘lordship’. We don’t accidental anything. We lone accidental code america respectfully,” the Bench asserted.
Still, contempt judicial and barroom endorsements, the signifier persists — mostly retired of habit, reverence, oregon uncertainty implicit acceptable alternatives. “But successful a strategy wherever symbols matter, Chief Justice Nagu’s courtroom correction is not conscionable a refusal of form. It is simply a quiescent reaffirmation of law morality — that dignity successful the courtroom request not remainder connected assemblage phrasing, but connected communal respect rooted successful equality,” says a elder advocator contiguous during the hearing.