SC Justice Arun Mishra, citing 'severe situation and suffering world over' due to COVID, declines farewell invites

New Delhi: Supreme Court judge Justice Arun Mishra, who is superannuating on 2 September, has declined farewell invitations of bar bodies citing “severe situation and sufferings the world over” on account of the COVID-19 pandemic. Justice Mishra, who became an apex court judge on 7 July, 2014, is demitting office on Tuesday and is all set to pronounce key judgments in cases including timelines for payment of AGR dues by telcos and the award of punishment to activist-lawyer Prashant Bhushan in a contempt case. The Supreme Court Bar Association and the Confederation of Indian Bar have extended the invitations for the farewell functions to the outgoing judge. “I am grateful for your kind invitation inviting me in the farewell function… I have always considered the bar as the mother of the judiciary, and it would have been a great pleasure to attend said function. “However, taking into consideration the severe situation and sufferings the world over on account of the COVID-19 pandemic, my conscience does not permit me to participate in any farewell function,” Justice Mishra wrote to the bar bodies declining the requests. He, however, assured the bar bodies that he would visit them as and when the situation normalises.