July,11,2015: Justice S. Vaidyanathan said: "Wonders may also happen in this country and we cannot predict who will be elevated to the level of judge."

Observing that the legal profession was already losing its respect due to unsavoury activities of certain lawyers, the Madras High Court Bench here on Friday said that people would lose faith completely in justice delivery system if law students with immoral character are allowed to continue their studies, enrol as advocates and become judges.

Dismissing writ petitions filed by four students of Tiruchi Government Law College challenging their expulsion from the institution for allegedly sending obscene messages to the mobile phone of a woman Associate Professor, Justice S. Vaidyanathan said: "Wonders may also happen in this country and we cannot predict who will be elevated to the level of judge."

“If persons like the petitioners are allowed to become lawyers, a situation may arise where woman members of the Bar cannot attend the court and the entire system will be ruined… The petitioners being grown up students, especially law college students, were fully aware of what they were doing and if stringent punishment is not imposed, they will be a social menace.”

The judge recollected an old incident narrated to him by his father of an aged passenger in a tram having parted with his seat to accommodate a young lawyer just because of the respect commanded by advocates during those days and said: “A lawyer enjoyed that kind of respect in the olden days and it is a million dollar question as to whether those days will come back now.”

Observing that the four law students had brought shame on their parents, teachers, the professional course they were pursuing and also upon themselves, Mr. Justice Vaidyanathan said: “In this case, a lenient view cannot be taken as the petitioners had used obscene words against a woman professor, who has to be regarded as a Goddess, and described her femininity in an awkward language.”

He quoted verses from the Quran, Bible and Hindu scriptures to highlight how men were expected to treat women, and said that it was a fit case to impose a cost of Rs.10,000 on each of the four petitioners.

However, he desisted from doing so since “the petitioners are students and the cost would have to be borne by their parents, who will definitely be in a tumultuous state at present.”

Hindu

 

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