Calcutta High Court Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam, set to retire on September 15, reflected on the importance of diplomacy in maintaining the delicate balance between the judiciary and the executive. At his farewell programme organised by the West Bengal government at the historic Town Hall, Justice Sivagnanam stressed that although cooperation between the judiciary and the executive is important, the judiciary should never be perceived as subordinate to the executive.
“Being the head of the judiciary, in the sense of being a Chief Justice of our High Court, is a delicate balance between judiciary and state,” he observed, adding that diplomacy is crucial “on either side” to preserve institutional respect and independence.
Justice Sivagnanam expressed gratitude to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Judicial Secretary Siddhartha Kanjilal, and Law Minister Moloy Ghatak, noting their unwavering support in undertaking significant development work for the state judiciary. “In close to three years, both during my tenure as acting Chief Justice and Chief Justice, the CM has never returned me with an empty hand,” he remarked.
The farewell was significant, as the last such gesture by the state government was in 2012 for Chief Justice Jai Narayan Patel.
Born on September 16, 1963, Justice Sivagnanam enrolled with the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu in 1986 and went on to be appointed an additional judge of the Madras High Court in March 2009, before becoming a permanent judge in 2011. He was elevated to the Calcutta High Court in October 2021 and assumed charge as Chief Justice in May 2023.
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