MADURAI: "Handle every file that comes to you with human touch. That will make a difference," Justice G Ilangovan requested the Registry and the advocates, in his acceptance speech during his farewell function at the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Wednesday.
Justice Ilangovan, who attained superannuation, said he chose to have his farewell function in Madurai, instead of the Principal Seat at Chennai, owing to the affection shown by the bar and the registry here. "Law was never my ambition," he said, recalling his early interest in medical course and the dejection he felt due to his repeated failures in securing medical admission. He later joined Tiruchy Government Law College based on his uncle's advice but couldn't show any involvement in it, he added.
But, an advice from his principal, - "Never become a judge. But fortunately or unfortunately, if it is so ordained to happen and it happens, fear nothing except your conscience. If any suffering happens to anyone because of your deliberate misdemeanor, that suffering is capable of ruining your generations"- cleared his mind, he shared, adding that this is the only profession that is capable of touching the conscience of a person. He further said he really enjoyed working in Madurai Bench and never encountered any problem or discomfort with any advocate during his tenure here.
Earlier, Advocate General PS Raman gave a brief overview of Justice Ilangovan's life and career. Born in Mettupalayam village in Thanjavur, Justice Ilangovan enrolled as an advocate in 1987 and joined judicial service in 1991, followed by promotion as a district judge in 2010. He was elevated as an additional judge of the Madras HC in 2020 and became a permanent judge in 2022.