Guard against bias: Judges to lawyers

Legal professionals were today asked to indulge in critical thinking and evaluate evidence with fairness to prevent innocent persons from being wrongfully convicted.

The judges of the Punjab and Haryana High Court also cautioned that personal biases must never cloud judicial decisions.

Justice Harsimran Singh Sethi said critical thinking was “the lifeblood of the legal profession”, warning that unless evidence was assessed impartially, “there is always a risk of convicting an innocent person”.

Justice Vinod S Bhardwaj, Justice Aman Chaudhary, Justice Deepak Manchanda and Justice Vikram Aggarwal echoed similar concerns, while emphasising how legal principles can clash with individual prejudices, a theme powerfully depicted in the film 12 Angry Men screened during an event at Law Bhawan in Sector 37 here today.

The judges were speaking at a function organised by Feed Goal Weekly, a three-month-old group of lawyers committed to environmental sustainability and legal awareness.

As the screening coincided with a ceremony granting licences to new entrants to the legal profession, saplings were distributed to budding lawyers.