As women, we may be more emotional but shouldn't be apologetic; we are made of steel: Justice Asha Menon

Delhi High Court judge Justice Asha Menon demitted office on Friday after a total of 36 years at the bench, the last three of which were at the High Court. .In her speech delivered on the occasion of her farewell, Justice Menon urged women not to be apologetic."As women we may be more emotional but we shouldn’t be apologetic about it, we are made of steel," she said.Justice Menon said this while recalling an incident from her tenure as a judicial officer when her son was just one-year-old, and she had arrived an hour late because he had to be taken to the doctors.Justice Menon recounted that when she arrived in court, a young lawyer had called upon the bar association to gather in court room to support him. A senior and respectable office bearer told her that if she couldn't work, she should sit at home.“My resolve that day was I will be here and so will they and let’s see who knows how to work… Later the same person described me as an excellent judge to a new Chief Justice of this court,” the judge said..Justice Menon joined the Delhi Judicial Services in 1986 and was elevated as a permanent judge of the Delhi High Court in May 2019..In her farewell speech, the outgoing judge also talked about destiny and how it was on account of her uncle who saw a small advertisement in a newspaper that she came to Delhi and appeared in the judicial services exams.“Judges cannot claim divinity. We have to be conscious of their being as a mere conduit. It is natural for judges to be righteous, but we have to be humble. It is usual to refer to the courts as temples of justice but it must never be forgotten that deity is the truth and judges and lawyers are its servitors.”.Justice Menon also shared her advice for young lawyers to develop better courtroom skills. “The computer has made drafting easy, but it has also stopped functioning of brain. Seems it is time lawyers are once again asked to draft in hand. Ambition is alright but learning from an experienced senior is a good thing. It will help you understand and develop courtroom skills.” .The judge, who dealt with a lot of matrimonial disputes during her tenure, said that she hopes the legal fraternity would promote quick disposal of family and matrimonial cases.“I sincerely wish this hope would be realised sooner than later,” she stated.