Chennai: A group of over 60 lawyers, including senior advocates, have sent a representation to the Chief Justice of India, requesting him to reconsider the transfer proposals of Justice R. Sudhakar and Justice V. Ramasubramanian.
In their representation sent to Chief Justice of India, they said the two judges had rendered yeomen service to the high court for over a decade and their judgments bear testimony to this. They have rendered landmark judgments touching several branches of law. It was therefore sad and surprising to note that these judges have sought transfer from Madras high court on grounds that can only be termed unfortunate.
“Sir, we are aware that the two judges were criticised, perhaps unjustifiably, for recently taking action against certain members of the Bar. Some fringe elements, who have no stake in the Bar, in a bid to gain publicity, played the caste card and engaged in unsavoury mudslinging", they added.
They said the institution was going through a phase of crisis in as much as the present number of judges was much below 50 per cent of the sanctioned strength. If two senior judges, who were alive to the local needs of the Bar as well as the litigants, were transferred, it would lead to a void and would be disastrous to the institution.
The reputation of the high court, in the eyes of the general public, was primarily gauged only by the quality of its judges. The negative publicity generated by the action of some fringe elements who have no stake in the Bar has contributed to the requests for transfer.
“This does not, however, reflect the sentiments of the substantial majority of the Bar, who are acutely aware of the excellent work done by these two judges,” they added. They said, “The proposed transfers, if given effect, would certainly send out a wrong signal to the general public, and cause further damage to the reputation of this high court.”
