Getting justice is more important than winning a case: Justice Surya Kant to law students

Supreme Court judge Justice Surya Kant has said getting justice is more important than winning a case. Addressing the convocation ceremony of Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia National Law University here on Sunday, he told the students of law, “After 15 years of practice, you will ask yourself whether the judgment in your cases could help resolve the next 100 cases.”

Justice Surya Kant, who is set to be the next Chief Justice of India later this month, told the students, “The questions you ask yourself during your work will be crucial. For example, did I prepare well? Did I argue well? All these questions are crucial.” He said getting justice is more important than winning a case.

Advertisement

Narrating his own experience, he said, “When I was practicing in a local court, I lost a property dispute case due to overconfidence. From that day on, I started keeping a notebook. I note everything in it so that I could review it. During my time as Advocate General (AG) in the state, I also learned a lot. I developed the habit of self-examination. I have seen lawyers who were excellent, but became outdated because they failed to upgrade themselves”.

Allahabad High Court Chief Justice Arun Kumar Bhansali asked the students to follow three basic points for success in legal career. First, silence is crucial, make this a habit. It shows you’re paying attention to the depths of wisdom. The second is preparation. It’s not how much you speak in the courtroom, but how much research you’ve done before speaking matters. And finally, courtesy is more important than charisma. Grace in the liturgy is not a decoration, but a necessity. No one will remember how well you spoke, but how truthful you proved to be.