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"In the words of a very eminent jurist, the power of judiciary lies not in deciding cases, not in imposing sentences, not in punishing for contempt, but in the trust, confidence and faith of the common man… This trust and confidence must not be shaken,” said Supreme Court (SC) Justice Jamshed Pardiwala in Ahmedabad on June 19, 2022 at the felicitation-cum-farewell of recently elevated SC judges from the Gujarat High Court that included Justices Vikram Nath and Bela Trivedi. The event was organized by the Gujarat High Court Advocates’ Association (GHAA), reported The Indian Express. An ambitious judge "is more dangerous than a bribe-taking judge,” he noted, recounting an earlier remark made by former colleague Gujarat Chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Emphasizing the importance of the institution of justice and it being larger than any individual, Pardiwala elaborated on the two major roles of a judge "in a vibrant democracy such as India.” The first role is to "uphold the Constitution and the rule of law,” and the second is "to bridge the gap between the law and the society… Your ideologies may differ, but when it comes to protecting the honor and dignity of this institution, always stand united and tall…Never allow any person to point a finger at this institution, never allow anyone to speak foul about this institution…” 
Reminiscing about his time on the bench with Bhattacharya, Pardiwala recounted a time when the latter had asked about his age (45 years then) and commented spontaneously on his remaining 17 years of tenure saying "an ambitious judge is more dangerous than a bribe-taking judge.” Taken aback at the remark, Pardiwala narrated that he later mustered the courage to ask Bhattacharya what he wanted to convey. The senior justice told him, "Brother, when I became a judge in 1997, I had tenure of more than 16 years. On the morning of my oath, my father who was also a judge of the Calcutta High Court but of service cadre came to wish me and said, ‘Bhaskar da, don’t start thinking from day one when you will become the chief justice of any high court or when will you go to the SC because an ambitious judge is a more dangerous judge than a bribe-taking judge. Ambition can lead a judge to do anything. Therefore, what my father has conveyed to me, I’m conveying it to you.’ These words got embedded in my mind, they are still embedded; they will die with me,” said Justice Pardiwala.
Felicitating the three judges on their elevation to the SC, Asim Pandya, president of GHAA, added, "As Supreme Court judges, it is expected that the values of democracy are protected and that they take special care to ensure that citizens’ rights, as enshrined in the Constitution, are not encroached upon by the executive or Parliament.”                                    F. J.