Shed paternalistic approach towards junior lawyers, pay them dignified sum: CJI

D Y Chandrachud on Saturday said paying junior lawyers paltry sums of money amounts to 'gatekeeping’ of the profession.

Madurai: Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud on Saturday asked the advocates to shed away paternalistic approach towards junior lawyers and said paying them paltry sums of money amounts to 'gatekeeping’ of the profession.

After inaugurating celebrations here to mark the 20th anniversary of the setting up of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, the chief justice hailed the contribution of the bench in serving as a repository of data and software backup for the Delhi High Court.

Raising the issue of entry-level juniors getting paid a "meagre" salary, Justice Chandrachud said "please shed away the paternalistic approach that they have come to learn and get exposure and experience, and that you are mentoring them." He pointed out that there was much to learn from the junior lawyers. Paying lower amounts such as Rs 5,000 per month to the juniors leads to "gatekeeping" of the profession, he said.

Maintaining that the juniors were particularly more cognizant of the contemporary realities, he advocated that the junior lawyers should be provided a "dignified sum commensurate with their hard work."

"This over-romanticisation of hard work, especially work without sufficient pay, is not merely rhetorical, it leads to people being expected to work for long hours with less sleep and for lesser monetary value," Justice Chandrachud said and stressed that the entire Bar should raise competent lawyers unfettered by their social or economic background.

Lauding the Bench for its latest "remarkable feat", the CJI said the Delhi High Court had set up a Disaster Recovery Centre at Madurai Bench this year to ensure regular backup of its data and softwares.

"So, Delhi has to look towards Tamil Nadu for a solution if it faces problems," Justice Chandrachud said in a lighter vein.

The CJI unveiled the Vigentennial Stupa at the Madurai Bench premises through a video conference. The celebrations at the Madurai Convention Centre, Tamukkam grounds, here, was attended among others by Supreme Court judges: Justice B R Gavai, Justice Surya Kant, Justice M M Sundresh, Justice K V Viswanathan, Justice R Mahadevan.

Madras High Court Acting Chief Justice D Krishnakumar and Justices R Suresh Kumar, S S Sundar, and R Subramanian besides Advocate General of Tamil Nadu P S Raman, and Additional Solicitor General of India A R L Sunderesan also participated.

Justice Sundresh unveiled a new name board for the Madurai Bench.

Addressing the gathering, the CJI said establishing the bench of the high court was not just about setting up infrastructure or creating courtrooms or furnishing those courtrooms.

"They are essential appendages to judicial work. The crucial part is about setting up conventions, about setting up traditions, which will ensure for the future," he said.

"In the last 20 years, the Madurai Bench has made that transition into truly being a representative of the great traditions of the Madras High Court," the CJI added.