Always Come Prepared to Court, Start with The Smallest Case You Get, Give It Your Best Shot: Justice Hima Kohli
(Judicial Quest News Network)
Speaking at the felicitation ceremony organized by ‘Women in Law and Litigation’ for Supreme Court Justice Hima Kohli, on her elevation to the Supreme Court of India on Tuesday said that there will never be a right time for women to enter legal profession, she urged women lawyer to shatter all glass ceilings and break barriers.
“Time will never be right for a woman to make a mark in legal profession. It is Now. Here. Live in the present. Start with smallest case. Give it your best shot. Work with whatever facilities you may have. If you don’t have an office doesn’t matter. I started with a dicky of my car. You cloud have just a locker in your court. Said Justice Kohli.
WILL (Women in Law and Litigation) for which Justice Hima Kohli is founding patron said that “WILL has been close to my heart. It started from the round table at a dinner. We though there would be so many things we’d like to share and inspire other women in litigation to join the profession.
That’s why the name Women in Law and Litigation was chosen. Though it also stands for “WILL” that you will and we will collectively forward the onerous task for attracting more women to this profession, making them more comfortable, mentioning them, providing them assistance that we hadn’t received or we did receive,” Justice Kohli added.
The felicitation ceremony was attended by Supreme and High Court Women Judges and Senior Advocates and Advocates, Justice Kohli said that “I am sure that all of us at some occasion or other found a vacuum which a colleague has been able to fill up, that sense of belonging to Bar and Bench is extremely imperative to give comfort to women in a profession like this. There is no old boys’ group that keeps women bounded, there is no networking that mostly work for women they stand alone.
Justice Kohli further said that journey of a judge is like “it is the existence of goldfish in a glass bowl for judge as you are being watched. If you are a judge inside Court, you’re a judge outside Court too. You have to make sure the aura and dignity of the profession is maintained. There are others watching you carefully and you symbolize a whole system.
Justice Kohli said that on the first day of her profession on the bench when her entire family was present to see her performance “It was Justice MK Sharma who had encouraged her to argue the matter.
She was appointed as Supreme Court Judge on 31, August,2021, along with Justice BV Nagarathna, and Bella M Trivedi.
Justice Indira Banerjee of the Supreme Court and Justice Pratibha Singh and Rekha Patil of the Delhi High Court also spoke on the occasion.
Chief Justice of India NV Ramana was the Chief Guest of the event.
About Justice Hima Kohli
Born on 2nd September, 1959 in Delhi, Justice Kohli did her schooling from St. Thomas School, New Delhi and graduated in History, Hons. from St. Stephens College, University of Delhi. She completed her Post Graduation in History in First Division and thereafter, joined the L.L.B. course at the Law Faculty, Campus Law Centre, University of Delhi. On completing the law course in the year 1984, she got enrolled as an Advocate with the Bar Council of Delhi in the same year.
Was the Standing Counsel and Legal Advisor of the New Delhi Municipal Council in the High Court of Delhi from 1999-2004? Was appointed as the Additional Standing Counsel Civil, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi in the Delhi High Court in December, 2004. Has represented Government of Delhi in several important public interest litigations.
Was the Legal Advisor to the Public Grievances Commission, Delhi Pollution Control Committee, National Agricultural Co-operative Marketing Federation of India, National Co-operative Development Corporation and other private organizations, banks, etc. Was a member of the Delhi High Court Legal Services Committee, a statutory body constituted under the Legal Services Authority Act. Appointed as an Additional Judge of the High Court of Delhi on May 29, 2006 and took oath as a permanent Judge on 29.08.2007.
Appointed as a Member of the General Council of the West Bengal National University of Judicial Sciences, Kolkata from 11.8.2017. Nominated as a Member of the Editorial Committee of Nyaya Deep, the official journal published by National Legal Services Authority from 07.05.2019. Appointed as the Chairperson of the Committee of the Delhi Judicial Academy from 11.3.2020.
Appointed as the Chairperson of a High-Powered Committee constituted by the Govt. of NCT of Delhi on 26.3.2020, in terms of the order dated 23.3.2020 passed by the Supreme Court of India for decongestion of jails in all States and UTs in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. Appointed as the Executive Chairperson of the Delhi State Legal Services Authority from 20.05.2020.
Appointed as the Chairperson of the Delhi High Court Middle Income Group Legal Aid Society from 29.06.2020. Appointed as a Member of the Governing Council of the National Law University from 30.06.2020. Is the member of the Administrative and General Supervision Committee of the High Court. Is the Chairperson of the Delhi High Court Building and Maintenance Committee, Mediation and Conciliation Committee and the Family Courts Committee.
Apart from performing her official duties as a Judge, she takes a keen interest in promoting mediation as an alternative dispute resolution forum, in highlighting the role of the judiciary in preservation of the ecology and environment and the role of Family Courts in resolving family disputes. She has participated in and presented papers at several national and international symposiums and conferences on these subjects. Sworn-in as the Chief Justice of High Court for the State of Telangana on 07.01.2021.
Appointed as Judge, Supreme Court of India and assumed charge on the forenoon of 31-08-2021.
