Cuttack, Jul 26, 2023, IANS

Cuttack, July 26 (IANS) President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday urged legal professionals to work towards expeditious trial and speedy dispensation of justice.

Addressing the valedictory function of 75th year celebrations of the Orissa High Court at Cuttack, the President said that the legal profession in India has earned the trust and respect of the citizens. It stands strong as one of the important pillars of the world’s largest democracy.

The legal professionals should work towards expeditious trial and quick justice. It can set free those innocents who are languishing in jail on trivial charges, she said.

There are instances of people imprisoned for periods longer than the punishment stipulated for the crimes of which they were accused. Due to this, innocent persons lose their important period of life, President Murmu said.

On the other side, she said, victims also lose the hope for not seeing the guilty facing the legal consequences. Such delays are a major concern. So, she urged all associated with the High Court of Orissa to work towards speedy dispensation of justice and set an example for the entire country.

The President further said that Indian Constitution-makers have given priority to the delivery of justice to the socially and economically underprivileged sections of society.

“People from the deprived sections of the society neither have much knowledge nor have resources to access justice. Therefore, it is a question before us ‘how would they get justice?’ There is a need for deep churning on this question,” the President said.

Speaking about the 75th year celebrations of the High Court of Orissa, the President said that the High Court of Orissa has set many high standards in its glorious journey of 75 years.

The luminaries of this High Court include a long list of Justices like Babu Jagannath Das, Ranganath Misra, Radha Charan Patnaik, Deba Priya Mohapatra, Gopala Ballav Patnaik, Arijit Pasayat, Ananga Kumar Patnaik and Dipak Misra
who became Judges of the Supreme Court and some of them also served as the Chief Justice of India, pointed out Murmu.

Behind the reputation of this court is the contribution, loyalty, dedication towards work and vast amount of knowledge of the past and present Chief Justices, Judges, advocates and staff of this High Court, she stated.

The President said that any institution which doesn’t change with the change of time, lags behind.  She noted that the Orissa HC has endeavoured to incorporate technological advancements in the justice delivery system.

She appreciated the High Court for streamlining and accelerating the justice delivery system through several modern, innovative and technology-driven changes.

The President said that natural calamities pose a challenge to humanity.

Adaptation to nature is the need of the hour. Along with the executive and legislature, the judiciary should also give top priority to environment and wildlife protection, she suggested.

The first citizen of India initiated her address by paying tributes to the brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the Kargil War. She noted that many soldiers from Odisha are among those who sacrificed their lives in the service of Mother India. Major Padmapani Acharya was honoured with Maha Vir Chakra for his contribution. The bravery of these soldiers will always remain a source of inspiration for our citizens, she added.