Need to improve legal literacy among masses, says outgoing Andhra Pradesh HC Chief Justice Arup Kumar Goswami

Amaravati: Outgoing Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh High Court Justice Arup Kumar Goswami on Sunday stressed the need for improving legal literacy among people. “Ground realities point to the fact that a large section of the population is oppressed. Want of legal awareness and legal literacy among the masses of the country is a scourge and an impediment in their assimilation to the existing justice delivery system. That needs to be eliminated by all means,” Justice Goswami said. He remarked that seeking vindication of their rights would be a far cry if the masses were not even aware of the rights. Justice Goswami has been transferred as the Chief Justice of Chhattisgarh High Court. He was accorded a warm farewell at a full court here on Sunday by his fellow judges and members of the Bar. He called upon young lawyers to be sensitive to the causes of the oppressed and the voiceless. “Assume a proactive role and cultivate a sense of belongingness to the cause. Imbibe the ideals of social justice,” he told the young lawyers. Noting that the legal profession “is very tough and challenging,” Justice Goswami observed that one should have all the attributes of a Test cricketer (to succeed). “I think all of you enjoy IPL matches and T20 cricket. It’s very exciting, but legal profession is not T20 cricket. It is not even one-day cricket. To be able to make mark in the legal profession, you must have all the attributes of a Test cricketer. You must have the patience and the temperament to play long innings,” he said. Fellow judges, state Advocate General S Sriram, AP High Court Bar Association president K Janakirami Reddy, Bar Council of Andhra Pradesh Chairman Ganta Rama Rao and others attended. Earlier, Justice Goswami administered the oath of office to Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah as the judge of the AP High Court. Justice Amanullah has been transferred from the Patna High Court. Later in the evening, Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan felicitated Justice Goswami at the Raj Bhavan. The Governor and the First Lady accorded a warm farewell to the Goswami couple. Harichandan lauded Justice Goswami’s services and wished the latter reaches higher positions in the country’s judiciary.