“Weigh your decisions…”: Law Minister Meghwal to new judges at Chandigarh Judicial Academy

Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Wednesday urged newly inducted judicial officers to pause and weigh their decisions, emphasising that the judiciary’s role was not limited to delivering judgments but dispensing justice grounded in empathy, balance, and awareness.

Addressing a gathering at Chandigarh Judicial Academy during the culmination of a one-year induction training programme for Punjab’s judicial officers, Meghwal illustrated his point with sharp anecdotes underscoring the difference between law and justice, and the dangers of mechanical decision-making.

Lauding the fact that 107 out of the 149 judicial officers in the current batch are women, Meghwal said the judiciary was moving in a progressive direction and needed to reflect compassion and clarity in its functioning.

In a striking example, he narrated a Japanese courtroom story where a wealthy man played the national anthem on a gramophone to immobilise a thief trying to escape his house — the thief stood still out of respect. Yet, the judge sentenced the man to two years in prison for misusing the anthem. “Justice prevailed over judgment,” said Meghwal, asserting that the judge’s decision reflected a deeper allegiance to constitutional values rather than personal morality or cleverness.

In another instance, Meghwal referred to a magistrate ordering the auction of a district collector’s car to ensure the upkeep of a public park. As the collector walked to work, he was picked up by a district judge who stayed the order. “Judges must not rush to pronounce orders. They must weigh consequences, context, and the spirit of law,” Meghwal said.

His message, delivered in the presence of Supreme Court Judge Justice Rajesh Bindal and Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Sheel Nagu, was not just about restraint but also about introspection. He quoted Swami Vivekananda to convey that while other nations might dress a man to make him appear a gentleman, “in India, it is character that makes a gentleman”.

Chief Justice Sheel Nagu also addressed the judicial officers, urging them to mirror life’s realities in their files. Drawing a metaphor, he said: “Rearrange the letters of the word ‘file’ and it becomes ‘life’,” reminding them that litigants arrive in courts burdened with expectations and hope.

Also present were Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma, president of Board of Governors, Chandigarh Judicial Academy, and other judges of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Justice Vinod S Bhardwaj delivered a vote of thanks.