Events & Personalities
Long day’s night
Determined to finish his case load before the summer vacation Bombay High Court Justice Shahrukh Kathawalla (pictured) sat in the court room till 3.30 a.m. on May 5, 2018 hearing cases (see "Burning the midnight oil, Parsiana, Law, May 7, 2018). The judge heard more than 135 matters since Friday (May 4) morning, 70 of which were urgent, stated the MumbaiMirror (MM) of May 6.
"Friday night’s feat was nothing out of the ordinary for Justice Kathawalla. He often begins court proceedings at 10 a.m., an hour earlier than other judges, and hears matters beyond 5 p.m. when the court normally shuts for the day. A staff member of the court room said despite staying up so late, the judge was back in his chambers around 10.30 a.m. on Saturday to finish pending work,” noted MM.
The Indian Express of (May 6, 2018) noted "the staff attached to Justice Kathawalla’s chamber has devised a way to work in shifts. Most of them, living in far flung suburbs, leave by 9-9.30 p.m. and are replaced by those living close by. While they return to work by 10 a.m. the next morning, the ones who work late take the daytime to rest.”
Former Bombay High Court Justice V. M. Kanade was quoted in the MM report that: "Good, someone is working hard for the system. It usually happens that people rush to the court in the last week before the vacation. It should be appreciated that judges are working hard. But (Kathawalla) should also take care of his health.”
The judge’s former secretary K. P. P. Nair told The Hindu of April 29 "there were times when he called me to his residence even on weekends to take dictation of a judgment so that time in the court is not wasted.”
"Friday night’s feat was nothing out of the ordinary for Justice Kathawalla. He often begins court proceedings at 10 a.m., an hour earlier than other judges, and hears matters beyond 5 p.m. when the court normally shuts for the day. A staff member of the court room said despite staying up so late, the judge was back in his chambers around 10.30 a.m. on Saturday to finish pending work,” noted MM. The Indian Express of (May 6, 2018) noted "the staff attached to Justice Kathawalla’s chamber has devised a way to work in shifts. Most of them, living in far flung suburbs, leave by 9-9.30 p.m. and are replaced by those living close by. While they return to work by 10 a.m. the next morning, the ones who work late take the daytime to rest.”
Former Bombay High Court Justice V. M. Kanade was quoted in the MM report that: "Good, someone is working hard for the system. It usually happens that people rush to the court in the last week before the vacation. It should be appreciated that judges are working hard. But (Kathawalla) should also take care of his health.”
The judge’s former secretary K. P. P. Nair told The Hindu of April 29 "there were times when he called me to his residence even on weekends to take dictation of a judgment so that time in the court is not wasted.”
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