Old civil, criminal appeals should be disposed of to maintain public faith in legal system: Justice Shaji P Chaly of Kerala High Court

Kerala High Court judge, Justice Shaji P Chaly on Friday urged lawyers to harness the power of technological advancements to better address the needs of litigants as they interact with the legal system..Justice Chaly also requested the Bar to support the Court in disposing of old civil and criminal appeals so as to reduce pendency of cases."I request the members of the Bar to harness and utilise the technological advancements in our legal system especially when the central and state governments are providing sufficient funds for infrastructure and technological developments. I would also request the members of the Bar to extend their fullest support to the disposal of old civil appeals, criminal appeals and revisions, which mounts the total pendency of cases before this court," the judge stated.This, he opined, is essential to ensure that the public does not lose faith in the legal system. "This is an essential prerequisite for upholding the faith of the public in the legal system which is playing a vital role in maintaining peace, harmony and equilibrium in society," he said..Justice Chaly was speaking at a full court reference organised in his honour to mark his retirement from service.Born on May 29, 1961, Justice Chaly procured his law degree from Maharaja's Government Law College, Ernakulam.He enrolled as an advocate in January 1986 and practiced before the Kerala High Court and subordinate courts in Ernakulam. .Speaking at the reference on Friday, Advocate General K Gopalakrishna Kurup pointed out that Justice Chaly was a first generation lawyer and opined that his success in the field was only due to consistent hard work. ."Success in the practice of law is measured exactly by the amount of hard work that is put into it. Consistency in such hardwork is also equally as important to accomplish such success. Being a first generation lawyer makes the path to success more arduous. Your lordship was consistently industrious in lawyering from the very first day into the profession and such industry paid off," AG Kurup said. .Being a first generation lawyer makes the path to success more arduous.AG K Gopalakrishna Kurup.Before his elevation as a judge, Justice Chaly was an extremely active member of the Bar, a fact that was attested to by all the speakers at the reference organised by the High Court. .Having served as president of the Kerala High Court Advocates' Association (KHCAA) in 2014, Justice Chaly on Friday urged the lawyers' body to use its considerable force for the benefit of lawyers and the common man as well."The strength of the KHCAA I understand is nearly 7000 right now. With such a formidable number the Bar may be able to move mountains for the well-being and welfare of the members of the association and alleviate the grievances of the common man. the unprecedented situations of the 2018 flood, and the pandemic, stand testament to this," he stated..On April 10, 2015, Justice Chaly was sworn in as an additional judge of the Kerala High Court and was made permanent in April 2017..At the reference, acting Chief Justice (now Chief Justice) SV Bhatti spoke of Justice Chaly's ability to work smoothly with the Bar."By and large advocates are judgmental and have contrarian or independent views on a variety of topics. So it is difficult to convince the fraternity on issues of importance particularly in electing an executive committee of advocates associations. Brother Chaly's deftness and leadership qualities are exhibited in his election as president of KHCAA. I am of the view that like yesteryear's leaders in public life, brother Chaly was a politician and also a perfect professional," the Chief Justice said. ."His disposal of cases in different branches of law speaks volumes about his contribution as a judge of this court. A popular lawyer, in my reading of him, he is not guided by popularism in adjudication. He is a perfect blend of both conservative and cosmopolitan outlooks in profession, life, and avocation", Justice Bhatti added..In his reply address, Justice Chaly reminisced about his camaraderie with his fellow judges. He also spoke of his experience in the computerisation committee headed by Justice A Muhamed Mustaque and his time on the bench with Justice AK Jayasankaran Nambiar during the COVID-19 pandemic which is when the Court was pushed to incorporate technology into its system.Before concluding his address, Justice Chaly once again underscored the importance of harnessing the power of technology."I perceive this (computerisation) as a revolution that changes the conservative courtroom dependent judicial system to a platform of technology based judicial activation enabling the common man to participate in the proceedings irrespective of location and transcending boundaries," he underlined.