When he was retiring as a Judge of Supreme Court of India, he told this story in a farewell function hosted by Supreme Court Bar Association.
He said that he was just an ordinary lawyer practising in a High Court.
But he was honest to the core of his heart. He was always candid and truthful.
One day, the High Court Collegium invited him to become a Judge. And he became a Judge of the High Court.
He was a little apprehensive at first. Many members of Bar were far more intelligent and far more knowledgable than him in law as well as in art of debating. He wondered how he would be able to cope with them.
He was now required to judge their cases and their arguments.. He had to first learn from them....and then he had to judge what was being argued before him. It was a challanging task.
A senior lawyer of Bar came to his rescue.
He sent him an autobiography of a Judge. The book was flagged at a particular page which described a useful habit of this judge.
This Judge in autobiography, used to keep a placard on his desk in such a way that he could see it but others could not see it. On it, in big letters, it was written,
His name is Justice Phukan.
(Those who have read "48 Laws of Power" by Robert Greene must have read a chapter "Say Less Than Necessary". This is one of the 48 laws of Power to learn to keep one's mouth.)
Haresh Raichura
10/07/2014
He said that he was just an ordinary lawyer practising in a High Court.
But he was honest to the core of his heart. He was always candid and truthful.
One day, the High Court Collegium invited him to become a Judge. And he became a Judge of the High Court.
He was a little apprehensive at first. Many members of Bar were far more intelligent and far more knowledgable than him in law as well as in art of debating. He wondered how he would be able to cope with them.
He was now required to judge their cases and their arguments.. He had to first learn from them....and then he had to judge what was being argued before him. It was a challanging task.
A senior lawyer of Bar came to his rescue.
He sent him an autobiography of a Judge. The book was flagged at a particular page which described a useful habit of this judge.
This Judge in autobiography, used to keep a placard on his desk in such a way that he could see it but others could not see it. On it, in big letters, it was written,
"You Fool! Keep Your Mouth Shut!
Whenever this judge felt like interrupting any lawyer, the judge used to read this placard and used to restrain himself from interrupting arguing lawyer.
The lawyer who had now became a High Court judge, read this autobiography of judge and adopted his method.
He did not keep a placard on his desk. But he memorised this story.
Then whenever he felt like interrupting a lawyer, he used to restrain himself from saying anything by remembering this story.
This method soon helped him to become a wiser, more intelligent and more knowledgeable judge.
Later he was elevated as Judge of Supreme Court.
He told this lesson of his life in a speech to members of Supreme Court Bar Assiciation when he retired.
The lawyer who had now became a High Court judge, read this autobiography of judge and adopted his method.
He did not keep a placard on his desk. But he memorised this story.
Then whenever he felt like interrupting a lawyer, he used to restrain himself from saying anything by remembering this story.
This method soon helped him to become a wiser, more intelligent and more knowledgeable judge.
Later he was elevated as Judge of Supreme Court.
He told this lesson of his life in a speech to members of Supreme Court Bar Assiciation when he retired.
His name is Justice Phukan.
(Those who have read "48 Laws of Power" by Robert Greene must have read a chapter "Say Less Than Necessary". This is one of the 48 laws of Power to learn to keep one's mouth.)
Haresh Raichura
10/07/2014
