Mumbai: “I appeared for the defendant and had thus to cross-examine the plaintiff's witnesses. I stood up, but my heart sank into my boots. My head was reeling and I felt as though the whole court was doing likewise. I could think of no question to ask. The judge must have laughed, and the vakils no doubt enjoyed the spectacle. But I was past seeing anything. I sat down and told the agent that I could not conduct the case, that he had better engage Patel and have the fee back from me. Mr. Patel was duly engaged for Rs. 51. To him, of course, the case was child's play.”
These words are by Mohandas K Gandhi, describing his first case as a lawyer, where he appeared in the Court of Small Causes.
Gandhiji’s debut is just one of the many cases this historic building has seen. To celebrate its hundredth birthday, the court hosted a one-day exhibition showcasing its history (and that of its predecessors since 1750) on Thursday.
Mulraj Shah, a senior advocate from the Small Causes Court, brought the idea to High Court solicitor Rajan Jayakar, who is known for setting up the Bombay High Court Museum in 2015.
Mr. Jayakar said that curation was simple: “All the exhibits were taken from the court itself. I asked them to make a list of the items in their inventory and I decided what should be displayed based on uniqueness, condition, and whether it will excite legal minds.” After polishing and cleaning,the exhibition was ready in four days.
Among the exhibits were two vakalatnamas signed by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, and five stamp papers with King George V’s seal, three of them printed by Thomas De La Rue & Co. and the other two by the Security Printing Press in Nashik, which displayed the move of printing operations from London to Nashik. Artefacts from the Raj era included a judge’s chair and brass seals with the royal coat of arms. Also on display were antique furniture used in the court, and a painting of the building created two years before construction started; it was based solely on architect G. Wittet’s plan. The remarkable thing, Mr. Jayakar says, is that the finished building is not very different from the original painting.
The positive response to the exhibition has encouraged the Small Causes Court to consider setting up its own museum.
