Justice T.S. Thakur, considered one of the “most popular judges” in recent times, retired on Tuesday as the 43rd Chief Justice of India, saying he has “played his role.” In his farewell speech on the Supreme Court lawns, Justice Thakur exhorted the judiciary to be ready to meet the challenges of the future as the country is on the “cusp of a great resurgence” and is emerging to be a superpower, both economically and militarily.
On the last day of his one-year tenure as Chief Justice, during which he was a vocal advocate of the “impossible burdens” faced by the judiciary and led the criticism of the government in delaying appointments and transfers of High Court judges, Justice Thakur turned towards his own brethren and asked them to fortify themselves to the greater challenges ahead.
Many problems
He said the problems faced by the judiciary in the present were many, ranging from the three crore pending cases in courts to the abject lack of judicial infrastructure.
“But you will have greater challenges ahead and not very far into the future. You will have to decide on cases concerning cyberlaws, medico-legal cases, questions of privacy and challenges to India’s inclusive society. And you have to make sure that you perform your role. So get ready to do so,” Justice Thakur addressed the judiciary. He said his prayers would be for the judiciary to be fearless and fair.
“You do not build a bridge like an engineer, you do not build great hydel projects for the nation. But your role will always be critical for others to build these bridges and hydel projects. For these great and wonderful constructions to happen, for us to advance as a nation, there should be peace in the society. You provide the peace through the proper and fair administration of justice,” Justice Thakur told the assembled members of the judiciary.