CHENNAI: President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday advocated translating high courts’ judgments into vernacular language so that people are able to understand them. Addressing a special convocation of Tamil Nadu Dr Ambedkar Law University here, he said there was a need to enhance legal literacy and simplify the rules.
He asked whether enough attention was being paid to issues of legal infrastructure and access to justice, especially for ordinary citizens. “It is important to not only take justice to the people, but also to make it understandable to litigating parties in a language they know. Perhaps, a system could be evolved whereby certified translated copies of judgments are made available by high courts in local or regional language,” he said.
He recalled that he had put forth this suggestion in October 2017 while addressing the valedictory of the diamond jubilee celebration of Kerala High Court. “I am happy to learn that some other high courts have also responded to the suggestion positively. The language of certified copies could be Malayalam in Kerala High Court or Tamil in Madras High Court, as the case may be,” he said.
Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami said three new law colleges will be established in Tamil Nadu this year. He further said a National law college will be built in Tiruchy. Eleven out of the 13 colleges under Dr Ambedkar Law University, will be undertaken by the government.
“Dr Ambedkar Law University has been offering good quality of legal education at an extremely affordable cost. Therefore, we have decided to undertake these colleges so that it can benefit more people,” he said.
On the occasion, three eminent judges were conferred honorary doctorates in law. These jurists have had distinguished careers. A former Chief Justice of India, Justice P Sathasivam served as a Judge of Supreme Court, High Court of Punjab and Haryana and Madras High Court.
Justice Bobde was appointed Judge of Supreme Court in 2013, and prior to that served as Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court and as a Judge of Bombay High Court.
Justice Vijaya Tahilramani who took over as Chief Justice of Madras High Court in 2018, had served as a Judge of Bombay High Court since 2001, including as Acting Chief Justice there. She is the second successive woman Chief Justice of the Madras HC.