HYDERABAD: Stating that even after 75 years of Independence, the existing laws still reflect a colonial perspective, Supreme Court judge Justice PS Narasimha, has emphasised the need for decolonisation of the legal system in India.
Justice Narasimha on Friday made his first trip to the Telangana High Court after being appointed to the Supreme Court of India on August 31, 2021. During his visit, he spoke at the Telangana High Court Advocates Association on the subject of “Widening Horizons -Emerging Challenges for Bar and Bench”.
In his speech, he urged attorneys to play a crucial role in eradicating colonialism through the process of interpretation, and suggested that this could be achieved by making the law more accessible to the general public.
Justice Narasimha called for teaching of law in local languages, such as Telugu, and for judgements to be translated into local languages, in order to make them more accessible to individuals. He also proposed efforts by the Advocate-General and the Vice-Chancellor of NALSAR University to conduct legal classes in Telugu in some institutions, but emphasised that he was not pushing for the use of Telugu in the legal system.
He suggested that justice should be delivered close to the people, and questioned the need for citizens from remote locations to travel to major cities to file complaints, especially in cases of abuse of authority by local public officials.
Justice Narasimha argued that by identifying and addressing the flaws in the legal system that insult local culture, civilization, and language, attorneys can play a crucial role in changing the system and making it more inclusive and accessible to all. He also urged for the use of Telugu in district courts so that litigants, who are largely from rural areas, understand what is going on in his case.High Court Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, judges and attorneys were present.