Only Judiciary can protect Constitutional values: Chief Justice RM Chhaya of Gauhati High Court retires

Only a 'strengthened judiciary' can protect Constitutional values and make India the 'best place' to live in for every human being, said Chief Justice RM Chhaya of the Gauhati High Court, who demitted the office on Wednesday..Chief Justice Chhaya, who retired after a tenure of six months and nineteen days in Gauhati, said that it is only the judiciary that can firmly stand for constitutional morality.."Millions of Indians have deep faith in their heart towards the judiciary. Only the judiciary, being the carrier of justice, can protect our Constitutional values and can be the most effective tool to make India the best place for every human being," he observed, in his farewell speech..Chief Justice Chhaya further stressed on the need to protect constitutional morals, which are essential to impart justice and to ensure the independence of the judiciary.."These are the standards that make the society civilised. In order to have a more civilised nation, it is our constitutional obligation to strengthen judiciary. Our Constitution provides a strong foundation to have an independent judiciary so that the judges can remain free from every interference except law," he underscored..The farewell address also saw Chief Justice Chhaya acknowledging that the legal system can only work with the cooperation of the bar and the bench and dedicated staff."It is not only for the judges but even the lawyers, who are the second pillar of the edifice of the justice delivery system to exhibit a judicial character. Qualities such as integrity, compassion, patience, uprightness, understanding, humility, courteousness are inseparable from the personalities of lawyers and judges," he emphasised.Chief Justice Chhaya has had a career spanning nearly four decades - twelve years on the bench and twenty-six years at the bar. In his farewell address, the outgoing Chief Justice had words of advice for young lawyers as well."Hard work and sheer hard work is the key to success," he told young lawyers, further remarking that since there is no shortcut in life, they should work hard and give their best. "More importantly, become technologically advanced," he added.The Chief Justice further made an 'earnest' request to juniors to not only respect their seniors but to also learn from them by observing them argue in the courtrooms. "I may add that the seniors must not only pay the juniors well but also treat them as a family and they should work together in tandem to excel in this profession," the Chief Justice added.Chief Justice Chhaya also touched upon the 'tradition and history' of Gauhati High Court. He said that it is a role model and that, being one of the prime High Courts, it will always uphold and protect Constitutional morals, thereby ensuring Indians that it is the 'rule of law' that shall always prevail..Born on January 12, 1961, at Veraval, District Junagadh, Chief Justice Chhaya passed his B. Com Examinations from MS University, Vadodara in the year 1981. He pursued his legal education at Sir LA Shah College from Gujarat University, which he completed in the year 1984. Thereafter, Chief Justice Chhaya enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council of Gujarat in 1984 and was appointed as Assistant Government Pleader and Additional Public Prosecutor in the Gujarat High Court in 1991, in which capacity he worked till March 1995. He was elevated as an Additional Judge of the Gujarat High Court on February 17, 2011, and confirmed as a permanent Judge on January 28, 2013.On June 23, 2022, he was sworn-in as the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court.