Supreme Court judge Justice KM Joseph on Friday expressed his gratitude to everyone who said kind words for him on his last day at the Apex Court, however, he said that he would be naive to take all the compliments at face value.
Sitting on a Ceremonial Bench with Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice P.S. Narasimha, Justice Joseph, while thanking all members of the Bar and his brother judges for their compliments, said that he would take the same with a generous pinch of salt, as the same were customary.
He said every appointed judge has to retire one day and life would take a new form. However, he had no idea as to what track he would take up now.
Calling the Bar and the Bench as two sides of the same coin, Justice Joseph said without their assistance, this court could not help the common man. He said he was happy to have been able to receive the Bar’s assistance in each and every case. However, Justice Joseph concluded his speech by thanking the Bar for all it said and ‘perhaps’ for what it did not express.
Speaking on the occasion, the CJI said he and Justice Joseph have been childhood friends. He revealed that when he shifted to Delhi, Justice Joseph became his first friend. Recalling the Covid-19 times, he said they shared a Bench then and it was like they could read each other’s minds.
As per CJI Chandrachud, Justice Joseph had inherited the integrity and passion from his late father, Justice KK Mathew, a former judge of the Apex Court. He said whenever he wanted to speak to Justice Joseph after the Court proceedings, his staff would always tell him that Justice Joseph was still in court, true to his personality.
The CJI further revealed that one of his colleagues asked him today whether he has been partial to Justice Joseph on the Collegium. He said brother Joseph replied to the person, saying that the CJI has rather been impartial.
Attorney General R. Venkataramani said the institution and the Bar were indebted to Justice Joseph. Recalling the times when he appeared before Justice Joseph, the AG said there were so many recollections.
He said when judges took oath, there were qualities which played a major role in the decision-making process and Justice Joseph was an extreme example of the same. The AG said he hoped Justice Joseph would remain with them in other engagements as well.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta seconded with the AG and said he wished Justice Joseph a healthy retirement.
Newly-elected President of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), Adish C. Aggarwala wished Justice Joseph a happy retired life.
Senior Advocate Anitha Shenoy lauded Justice Joseph’s personal commitment to social justice, saying that he took every discourse to a higher level. She wished Justice Joseph good health and a life filled with music.
Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the court was losing an asset today. He recalled a matter related to the State of Uttarakhand and said the Supreme Court judge read each and every case and decided only on merits. Nothing else could affect him, he added.
Justice Joseph is due to retire on June 16, during the summer vacations of the Apex Court.