J&K High Court Bar Association Felicitates Chief Justice Bhatti
KD NEWS SERVICE
SRINAGAR, Oct 5: The Jammu & Kashmir High Court Bar Association Srinagar Kashmir (Regd.) on Monday organised a felicitation programme in honour of Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, Dr. Pushpendra Singh Bhatti, at the Common Bar Room of the Srinagar Wing of the High Court.
The programme, the first such felicitation organised by the Bar Association, witnessed an overwhelming participation of members of the legal fraternity, with the Common Bar Room packed with advocates who turned up in large numbers to welcome the Chief Justice.
Besides the Chief Justice, the occasion was attended by Justice Wasim Sadiq Nargal, Justice Rajesh Sekhri, Justice Mohammad Yousuf Wani, Justice Sanjay Parihar and newly appointed Justice Yashpal Bourney of the High Court. Mir Syed Lateef, Judicial Member and Head of Department, Central Administrative Tribunal, Srinagar, was also present.
The judges and the Judicial Member were felicitated by the Bar Association during the programme. Newly appointed Justice Yashpal Bourney was also specially welcomed and felicitated on the occasion.
President of the Jammu & Kashmir High Court Bar Association Srinagar Kashmir, Waseem Gul, delivered the welcome address, while Advocate Bikram Deep Singh conducted the proceedings.
A large number of senior advocates and members of the Bar attended the function, including Zaffar Ahmad Shah, G.A. Lone, R.A. Jan, Mohsin Ul Showkat Qadri, Syed Faisal Qadri, Tahir Majid Shamsi, Anupam Raina, Jehangir Ganie, Syed Manzoor, Anil Bhan, Bashir Ahmad Bashir, Showkat Makroo, Abdul Majid Dar, Arifa Jan and Masooda Jan, besides several other advocates, lawyers and law officers of the Union Territory.
Responding to the felicitation, Chief Justice Dr. Pushpendra Singh Bhatti expressed his appreciation for the warmth extended by the Bar and said his long association with the legal profession continued to shape his approach to the institution.
Recalling his 24–25 years as a lawyer, the Chief Justice said his heart continued to beat for the legal fraternity. He paid tribute to senior members of the Bar, observing that their experience, commitment and sense of duty represented an important institutional strength.
The Chief Justice said that after spending some time in the High Court, he now recognised nearly 90 per cent of the faces present in the Bar Room, something that would have been impossible during the initial days of his tenure.
Describing his service to the people of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh as a source of professional satisfaction, he sought the fullest cooperation of the Bar in protecting and securing the constitutional rights of citizens within the framework of law.
He also highlighted the rich legal heritage of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, describing it as a tradition that has evolved over nearly a century. According to him, the High Court has historically commanded respect across the country, with several judgments delivered during the 1960s and 1970s continuing to be regarded as benchmarks of judicial excellence.
The Chief Justice particularly appreciated the preparation and commitment displayed by members of the Bar, including senior advocates, young lawyers and women advocates. He said the dedication of lawyers towards the cause of their clients remained central to the effective functioning of the justice delivery system.
Acknowledging the role played by the Bar in helping him familiarise himself with local laws and legal practices, Dr. Bhatti said the assistance extended by advocates had made his transition and functioning easier from the very beginning.
He stressed that the quality of judicial decisions was closely linked to the strength and quality of the Bar. A strong Bar, he said, contributes to better judgments, and expressed confidence that continued cooperation between the Bench and the Bar would result in decisions that are research-driven, accurate and oriented towards the welfare of the common citizen.
The Chief Justice also referred to his longstanding perception of Kashmir as “Jannat” and spoke about his visits to Dal Lake, Hazratbal and the Shankaracharya temple. However, he emphasised that beyond the region’s natural and cultural attractions, the shared responsibility of the Bench and Bar was to serve its people.
He described lawyers as an important source of support for litigants, saying that advocates provide people with confidence and peace of mind while helping address complex problems confronting society.
Special emphasis was laid on the increasing role of women in the legal and judicial system. The Chief Justice noted that nearly 50 per cent of recent recruitments in the High Court had been women and called for greater representation of women advocates in the executive bodies of the Bar.
He said increased participation of women in institutional leadership would further strengthen the Bar and enable the legal fraternity to continue providing leadership in the justice system.
Technology also figured prominently in the Chief Justice’s address. He described technology as an essential enabler of modern judicial functioning and urged lawyers, particularly those below the age of 50, to develop a high degree of technological competence.
He cautioned that legal professionals who fail to adapt to technological advancements could find themselves increasingly disadvantaged. Young advocates, he said, should strive to move beyond merely collecting information and learn to convert information into knowledge and knowledge into wisdom.
The Chief Justice also appreciated the seamless virtual functioning between the Jammu and Srinagar wings of the High Court and acknowledged the increasing contribution of the Ladakh Bar to the larger judicial institution.
Welcoming Justice Yashpal Bourney to the Bench, Dr. Bhatti invited members of the Bar, irrespective of their seniority, to approach him freely with constructive suggestions aimed at improving the functioning of the institution.
He assured the legal fraternity that he would work to uphold the traditions, culture and rich legacy of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh and sought collective efforts to add a new chapter of excellence to its history.
The unusually large turnout at the felicitation programme reflected the enthusiasm within the legal fraternity over the Chief Justice’s tenure and his emphasis on closer Bench-Bar coordination. The event was also viewed as an important institutional interaction, with the Bar expressing its willingness to work collectively with the judiciary for strengthening the justice delivery system and improving access to justice for ordinary citizens.
