Spotlight this week: Justice Sheel Nagu
This week, the spotlight found Punjab & Haryana High Court Chief Justice Sheel Nagu for more reasons than one.
Spotlight is a series where we shine the, well, spotlight on members of the legal fraternity who made the news over the past week.
This week, the spotlight found Punjab & Haryana High Court Chief Justice Sheel Nagu for more reasons than one.
On May 9, those living in India’s border states, woke up to the remnants of military escalation. Simmering tensions between India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam terrorist attack finally boiled over with the two neighbouring countries resorting to artillery shelling and missile fire.
In view of this, the Punjab & Haryana High Court Bar Association decided to observe a “no work day” on May 9. While judges were present in court on May 9, lawyers were not, leading to a majority of listed cases getting adjourned.
Justice Nagu pointed out the incongruity in lawyers sitting at home while soldiers were in the line of fire.
“The ‘No Work Call’ was a little unfortunate. I expressed my concerns to your President [of Bar Association] that when the forces are fighting the battle, you will be sitting at home and resting? That is very unfortunate,” Justice Nagu said.
The statement struck a chord both within and outside the legal community. Justice Nagu also emphasised another crucial aspect – that if institutions don’t keep working, the entire nation will suffer.
“We also have to work…otherwise the entire system of the country will come to a grinding halt,” he said.
