New Delhi: Justice Arun Mishra, on his last day as a Supreme Court judge, sat with Chief Justice S.A. Bobde today in Court 1. This is a tradition. Attorney General K.K. Venugopal and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said Justice Mishra will be missed dearly.
Venugopal, who calls him ‘iron judge’ of the Supreme Court, said he hasn’t seen a Judge so firm and unshakeable in the Supreme Court. Venugopal said he would have personally appreciated if the Justice Mishra-led bench had not punished Prashant Bhushan for contempt, “…but his judgment elaborately laid down the contempt principle and it will be debated for a long time,” he said.
He further said, Justice Mishra did a tremendous amount of work and gave many significant judgments. If it wasn’t for the pandemic, he would’ve been given a fitting farewell in the presence of lawyers.
Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi wished Justice Mishra a happy second innings and wished him well. SG Mehta also wished him.
Chief Justice Bobde called Justice Mishra a Beacon of Light, Courage and Fortitude, and said he was leaving behind a legacy of hard work, erudition, great courage and fortitude. I have never come across a person or Judge who faced so many adversities both as Judge and in personal life and yet carried on bravely with fortitude like Justice Mishra did, he said.
The Supreme Court Advocates-On-Record Association (SCAORA) President Shivaji Jadhav said:
“We hope Justice Mishra will be back in the legal corridor. On behalf of SCAORA and members of the Bar we offer our deepest gratitude to you and wish you best of health.”
Justice Mishra said:
“I’d request the advocates to pardon me if I have hurt them in any way. I have always written judgments from my conscience and thinking about upholding the law.”
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“Sometimes I have been very harsh in my conduct directly or indirectly. Nobody should feel hurt. Analyse every Judgment and don’t colour it this way or that way. If I have hurt anybody then please pardon me, pardon me, pardon me,” he said.
-India Legal Bureau