While saying goodbye to Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal noted that the CJI has maintained the court’s honour and integrity despite challenging circumstances and brought the government to account.
Sibal said he had been with the Supreme Court for 50 years and had seen many Chief Justices come and leave as he expressed his gratitude to CJI Ramana today.
While the Solicitor General of India, Tushar Mehta, had emphasised how CJI Ramana had two families-one biological and one of the bar-the CJI also noted that there was a third family-“the family of judges”-that the CJI looked after. He said that:
“You have taken care of that family (the family of judges) very well. I will tell you why. When the sea is carved, the ship is sailed. But we are going through very turbulent times. And it is difficult for the ship to sail. It is there that this court will remember you. Even in turbulent times, you have ensured that the dignity and the integrity of the court is maintained. The government is called to answer. The vision of the nation is kept in mind in the course of your judicial determinations. Thank you for all that you have done for all the families that you headed. We will remember you for a long, long time. You have actually collaborated with everyone for the purpose of maintaining high standards of the judiciary and I think the upswing of the court has already started and I am sure that your successor will carry it forward.”
On his final working day, CJI Ramana shared a bench with his successor, CJI Justice Lalit, in the ceremonial bench, where the proceedings were broadcast live for the public to see.
