June 3, 2014

Two Lama On Eve of Retirement of Hon’ble Justice Surinder Singh Nijjar, Judge, Supreme Court of India (On 6/6/2014)

Two Lama On Eve of Retirement of 
Hon’ble Justice Surinder Singh Nijjar, 
Judge, Supreme Court of India 
(On 6/6/2014)


Hon'ble Mr. Justice S.S. Nijjar




In The Mountains of Tibet
Younger Lama asked Elder Lama,
“What can you say about
Justice Nijjar?

Elder Lama thought for a while and said,

“He was a sojourner.
A sojourner is a person
Who lives like a traveller on Earth.
An air of aloofness and detachment
Surrounds him wherever he goes.
He feels like a foreigner
On every part of Earth.
He discharges his duty without attachments.”

Younger Lama reflected for sometime
And then asked,
“You once said that,
‘To know a person well,
find out what he dislikes most’,
So tell me,
‘What did Justice Nijjar dislike most,
What did he disapprove most?”

Elder Lama replied,

“He disliked the way
Some Senior Advocates argued cases.
He disapproved their squabbling with each other,
They were fighting cases
As if their own life and fortunes were at stake in cases!
He used to caution them many times,
And used to ask them to argue objectively,
And to maintain decorum of Supreme Court.”

“Why do some senior advocates
Start squabbling during arguments?
What makes them so involved in some cases to the extent
That they do not mind even abusing the judge?”
Younger Lama asked a worrisome question

Elder Lama replied,
“It is because of Pavlovian Conditioning.
Experiments were made in 1920
And it was found that
Possibilities of higher rewards
Change behaviours of animals

Findings were seen working on human beings also

In absence of fee related regulations,
Performance of lawyers
Changes, 
From lawyer to lawyer,
And from case to case
Across the India.”


“Are there no regulations
About how much rewards a Senior Advocate can ask
For his professional services in India?”
Asked Younger Lama

“Sky is the limit.”
Replied Elder Lama

Haresh Raichura
Advocate on Record.