Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Friday praised Justice Sanjay Karol for encouraging young lawyers appearing before him, saying that the judge often tells senior advocates when their juniors have argued a matter well before the bench and such words from a senior judge can mean far more to a young lawyer than any reassurance.

Speaking at the Supreme Court Bar Association farewell for Justice Karol, who will demit office tomorrow, CJI Kant said that Justice Karol had always been attentive to the growth and nurturing of the young members of the Bar.

“His concern for the way justice is delivered also extends to the way the legal profession itself grows. He has always been attentive to the growth and nurturing of the young members of the bar and who knows better than these youngsters, many of whom had the advantage of working as amicus in his court. Giving an opportunity to hundreds of young lawyers, members of the bar, is really a great opportunity to them to shape themselves as the future members of the Supreme Court Bar Association. Many of you also appear regularly before him, know that he always makes it a point to tell a senior that their juniors have argued the matter very well before the Bench. To a young lawyer, such encouraging words from a senior judge can mean far more than any reassurance,” CJI Kant said.

CJI Kant also recalled his long association with Justice Karol, dating back to their days as young lawyers. Recalling what he had said about Justice Karol at the time of his farewell from the Himachal Pradesh High Court, CJI Kant described him as “an ideal judge who is always eager to do justice to the oppressed and deserving and has never allowed technicalities to overshadow the free flow of justice.”

“Almost 8 years later as I once again bid him farewell, I find that those words have not only stood the test of time but remain as true today as they were then,” he added.

CJI Kant described Justice Karol as an “amiable and remarkable down to earth person” who had maintained a deep regard for the values of judicial office, including impartiality, integrity, independence and humility.

He said these qualities were reflected not only in Justice Karol's personal conduct but also in the way he heard matters, spoke to lawyers and litigants and approached judicial reasoning.

CJI Kant highlighted that Justice Karol's courtroom was never an intimidating place and that he treated it as a space for dialogue rather than confrontation.

“Even when the disagreements were sharp between the parties, he ensured that every party leaves with the sense that they have been heard properly and that their disputes will be resolved with fairness,” he said.

The CJI also highlighted Justice Karol's encouragement of mediation and settlement in family, service and commercial disputes.

“For my brother Justice Karol, justice has never just meant that every dispute must have a winner and a loser. Instead, he has encouraged the parties before him to always try to settle and talk to one another to find common ground for mutual agreement,” he said.

CJI Kant also spoke about Justice Karol's judicial work, particularly his decisions in criminal law and motor accident compensation matters.

He said Justice Karol's criminal law decisions reflected a balance between the legitimate interests of society and the constitutional promise of fairness to an accused.

“His approach has recognized that the criminal justice system must be unyielding where the law demands firmness but equally vigilant in protecting the safeguards that stand between the individual and the coercive power of the state,” CJI Kant said.

He added that Justice Karol's opinions showed a judge who was “deeply compassionate and acutely aware of social realities”, particularly in his work concerning motor accident compensation cases.

CJI Kant also recalled an incident from Justice Karol's tenure in Himachal Pradesh when Shimla faced a drinking water shortage. He said Justice Karol took suo motu cognizance of the situation and personally visited the spot where water was being distributed.

“He walked extra miles, went to the spot where the water was being distributed to ensure that there was no favouritism or favour of high ups in society and water was distributed equally to all those who are in need,” he said.

CJI Kant said Justice Karol's retirement from judicial office was not necessarily the end of his contribution to the legal world.

Recalling former Attorney General Fali S Nariman's observation that every judge leaving the Supreme Court should satisfy himself that he had left “a little brick of his own making” in the edifice of the Supreme Court, CJI Kant said Justice Karol had left his own brick through his contribution to the Court's body of judicial scholarship.

“On behalf of my colleagues on the Bench, I thank you for your companionship and your institutional commitment. And above all, for reminding us that firmness and kindness are not opposites, but complementary in judging,” he added.

CJI Kant also congratulated the newly constituted Executive Committee of the SCBA and called it fitting that one of its first occasions brought the Bench and Bar together to honour Justice Karol.