KOCHI:The Kerala Fine Arts Hall was swarming with parents waiting for their children who were taking part in enrolment ceremony of the Bar Council of Kerala here on Sunday.
Of the 353 students enrolled by the Bar Council, 40 were retired hands.
On the occasion, Justice Ashok Bhushan, who was the chief guest at the event, distributed certificates to the students. In his inaugural address, the Justice urged the young lawyers and law students to grow into socially responsible lawyers.
“Many of our national leaders were advocates. As lawyers, you have a huge responsibility. So, while entering the profession, each one of you should be a socially responsible advocate. In today’s world, one cannot become a lawyer solely through academic learning. For example, if a lawyer wants to fight an environment-related case, he/she must have good knowledge of about environment,” he said, adding that senior lawyers should train juniors to think independently and approach everything objectively.
“Young lawyers must be trained to assimilate and analyse facts, and he/she must have a good command over written and spoken language,” said Bhushan.
Bar Council of Kerala enrolment committee chairman K N Anil Kumar, Bar Council of Kerala chairman Joseph John and Bar Council of Kerala enrolment committee member M Ramankutty spoke.
Tussle Between Parents, Guards When chief guest Justice Ashok Bhushan entered the Fine Arts Hall premises to attend the enrolment function organised by the Bar Association of Kerala, what welcomed him was a tussle between parents/relatives of the students and the security guards.
Despite having entry pass, most of the relatives and local guardians were forced to wait outside the venue in the scorching heat as the hall remained jam packed throughout the ceremony. The commotion, which eased for a while after the chief guest entered the hall, resumed after the parents and relatives found an open space on the first floor of the hall.A large number of persons had travelled from Thrissur and Kozhikode to see their children being enrolled. It was those who bought passes paying Rs 100 were the most disappointed. Akhil Das, who along with six other relatives came from Thrissur, had no other choice but to wait outside until the function ended. A M Babu, who travelled all the way from Kozhikode with his family of six, was extremely disappointed as they had to wait in the humid heat outside the hall. Meanwhile Ernakulam Fine Arts Hall manager Udayan ended up in a brawl with some of the parents who crowded in the open space in the hall.
“We were told by the Bar Association that there would a maximum of only 1,000 people. The hall has seating capacity for 800 persons on the ground floor, and 300 on the top floor. We did not expect such a rush,” he said.
Bar Council Member and Thiruvananthapuram Bar Council president K P Jayachandran said that the passes were introduced to control the crowd.
“Each candidate is allotted two free passes, each costing Rs 100. This particular venue was chosen since it has sufficient seating capacity, compared to the High Court Hall where the function is usually held,” he said.
‘Little’ Wonder in Lawyer’s Suit
Kochi: When Anusree walked onto the stage to receive her certificate at the enrolment function, necks craned to get a view of the little wonder. All of 3 feet and 5.7 inches tall (106cm), Kozhikode-native Anusree was a unique student to be enrolled on Sunday. Speaking about her achievement, she says “I was guided by my grandfather, who advised me to appear for the LLB entrance examination.” She passed the exam and joined Govt Law College, Kozhikode. Daughter of a retired employee of the Civil Supplies Corporation and an LP school teacher, Anusree says there were times she felt it was impossible to achieve anything due to her height. “After I joined the law college, I started taking everything as a challenge,” said Anusree. Anusree, who is currently pursuing LLM at the same college, said she was looking forward to becoming a teacher. “I am interested in teaching, so I am preparing for UGC NET exam,” she added.
In Seventh Heaven
Kochi: Amongst the crowding black coats were a group of women in long white attire. Wearing their nun’s habit, the group was waiting at the entrance of the Ernakulam Fine Arts Hall to congratulate one amongst them who just got enrolled by the Bar Council of Kerala on Sunday. Sister Josna from the Sisters of the Destitute was in seventh heaven after the enrolment ceremony. Sister Josna, who will officially be called Advocate Mini Joseph, was all smiles when asked about her achievement. “This is definitely a wonderful experience, and I am really thankful for all the support and blessings I received,” she said. Introducing Sr Jinci, another sister from her congregation who took up legal studies, Sr Josna says, “she is the first nun from our congregation to become a lawyer.”