In a good gesture, Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy of the Madras High Court has placed a water cooler in his court hall on top of the table, behind which the advocates sit, for the use of the lawyers who argue cases before him.
The Bar has hailed the judges’ concern and thoughtfulness. The Madras High Court has 47 court halls of which 34 are located on the ground as well as the first floor of the heritage building. Rest of the 13 court halls are situated on the first and second floors of an annexe building that could be accessed through a long pedway.
Every court hall has an electronic display board which keeps updating the serial number of the case being heard in other court halls. The facility has been provided for the convenience of lawyers who could be often spotted rushing from one court hall to another in order to be present when their case gets taken up for hearing.
The incident that prompted the move
“Recently, an elderly advocate had rushed into Court Hall No.15 presided over by Justice Bharatha Chakravarthy. He was panting heavily and therefore the judge asked him to sit and relax for a while. When the lawyer wanted some water to drink, it took quite some time for the court attender to fetch water from outside the hall.
“Since this incident, the judge had instructed the court staff to place a water cooler right on top of the advocates’ table, along with a cup, and fill it regularly. This is a very thoughtful gesture that would be of great help not only to the elderly but also the other lawyers too especially during the summer,” says advocate S. Shankar.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, another advocate said, often, maintenance of decorum inside the court halls comes in the way of providing drinking water facility. “Every lawyer cannot be expected to carry water bottles all the time. Therefore, a kind gesture such as this should definitely be appreciated,” he said.
