New
Delhi:
Chief Justice of India NV Ramana on Wednesday said that Supreme Court judge
Justice Ashok Bhushan, who is set to retire on July 4, has always been a “valuable
colleague” and his judgements stand testimony to his “welfarist and humanist”
approach.
The
CJI, while bidding farewell to Justice Bhushan, said that he will be remembered
and thanked for his judicial contributions and he has been a great value
addition to the higher judiciary.
Justice
Bhushan, who was elevated as a top court judge on May 13, 2016, was part of
several landmark judgements including the November 2019 verdict by a five-judge
Constitution bench which cleared the way for construction of Ram Temple at the
disputed site at Ayodhya and directed the Centre to allot a five-acre plot to
Sunni Waqf Board for building a mosque.
He
was also part of a five-judge Constitution bench which had in September 2018
declared the Centre's flagship Aadhaar scheme as constitutionally valid but
struck down some of its provisions including its linking with bank accounts,
mobile phones and school admissions.
Besides,
Justice Bhushan headed the five-judge Constitution bench which had last month
refused to refer to a larger bench the issue whether to revisit its 29-year-old
Mandal verdict putting cap on quotas at 50 per cent and quashed a Maharashtra
law granting reservations to Marathas in admissions and government jobs in the
state, saying it violated the principle of right to equality.
While
biding farewell, CJI Ramana said that Justice Bhushan's journey has “truly been
remarkable” and he has spent nearly two decades delivering justice in
constitutional courts.
“Justice
Bhushan has always been a valuable colleague. His presence on the bench and on
the committees that I am a member of, has been so very reassuring. Simply
because, he is, first and foremost, a great human being. This quality has found
abundant reflection in discharge of his duties - both while facing and adorning
the bench,” said the CJI, who was heading a bench which also comprised Justices
Bhushan, A S Bopanna and Hrishikesh Roy.
“His
judgments stand testimony to his welfarist and humanist approach. His concern
for the welfare of every section of the society is reflected in his opinions
and writings,” he said.
Justice
Bhushan said it is a matter of “great pride” to be a part of the Supreme Court.
“Bar
and the bench are part of two wheels and the relationship of the bar and the
bench is like that of sea and clouds,” he said.
Justice
Bhushan said that the bar has always stood for democracy and rule of law.
He
thanked the CJI and his colleagues and expressed gratitude to the bench,
members of the bar, the registry as well as personal staffs.
The
CJI said that Justice Bhushan's journey as a legal professional is marked by
many milestones.
“Justice
Bhushan has been a great value addition to the higher judiciary. Successive
Chief Justices have underlined this fact by entrusting him with adjudicating
the most complicated matters, often through constitution benches,” he said.
“Justice
Ashok Bhushan will always be remembered for his judgments. On behalf of myself
and my colleagues, I wish him the very best of health and happiness. I am sure
he will always find ways to contribute to enrichment of the profession,” the
CJI said.
Attorney
General K K Venugopal, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and senior advocate and
President of Supreme Court Bar Association Vikas Singh also bid farewell to
Justice Bhushan.
Besides
being part of several constitution benches, Justice Bhushan was heading the
bench which on Tuesday termed as “unpardonable” the Centre's “apathy and
lackadaisical attitude” towards creating National Database for Unorganised
Workers and ordered its commencement by July 31 so that all migrant workers are
registered this year and welfare measures extended to them during COVID-19
distress.
Justice
Bhushan headed bench on Wednesday directed the National Disaster Management
Authority to issue fresh guidelines for providing minimum standards of
financial help to families of those who lost their lives to COVID-19.
Justice
Bhushan had obtained law degree from Allahabad University in 1979 and was
enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh on April 6, 1979.
He
was elevated as permanent judge of the Allahabad High Court on April 24, 2001.
He was sworn in as a judge of the Kerala High Court on July 10, 2014.
Justice
Bhushan was sworn in as the chief justice of Kerala High Court in March 2015.
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