Sunday, March 13, 2016

LegalTrek - How I Became A Lawyer

Allahabad High Court was established in 1866. This year is one hundred and fiftieth year of its existence. On this occasion Allahabad High Court has planned a year long activities. It kicks off today, among others, in the presence of the President and the Chief Justice of India.

On this occasion, I plan to write a series titled 'LegalTrek'; about the incidents and cases that in a way shaped the Court's as well as my life. Perhaps, this may be useful, instructive. However, in between the posts of the series, there would be other posts as well. 

This post is about, why I chose  the professional of law.
Allahabad High Court - From centenary volume

LegalTrek - Personal
Life is Full of Surprises।। How  I Became A Lawyer।। Allahabad High Court Is Born।।

Professor Rajendra Singh (29.01.1922 – 14.07.2003), or Rajju Bhaiya as he was known, was fourth (from 1994 to 2000) Sar-Sangh Chalak (chief) of Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh (RSS). He was with the Physics Department of the Allahabad University and was one of the finest teachers to have walked in its corridors. In mid 1960's, he left the University and dedicated his life to social work.

Our families were not related, yet I had the good fortune to spend my childhood with him.  I wrote an article 'Rajju Bhaiya As I knew Him', as to how our families had become close and about my childhood memories of him. I was to a great extent influenced by him; like him, I wanted to be a physicist: I had no interest in law.

I graduated with Physics, Mathematics, and Statistics from Allahabad University in 1970. But in those times, we did not question the wisdom of our parents and on the insistence of my father VKS Chaudhary, a senior Advocate of the Allahabad High Court, joined law the same year.

It was a three year law course and I passed out in 1973; before completing 21 years of age. I waited for some time and got myself registered on 18th October, 1973 with the UP Bar Council, Allahabad. I practised for a year at Banda under my two uncles Yogendra Kumar Singh Chaudhary and Gyanedra Kumar Singh Chaudhary, then for a year at Kanpur under Barrister Narendra Jeet Singh. I shifted to Allahabad in 1975.

Before I became a permanent judge of the Allahabad High Court on 5th of February 1999, I was Additional Advocate General of UP from 26th March, 1997 to 4th February, 1999. I took oath as the Chief Justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court on 22nd October, 2012. After my retirement on 8th October, 2014, I became Visiting Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Allahabad and taught for a semester at the University on 'Information Technology Law and IPR'. I have now again started practising in the Supreme Court from April 2015.

It is said that the best thing is to make your hobby, your profession. I couldn't do it but the next best thing happened to me. I started loving my profession - the profession of Law.

I have fond memories of the profession as well as of the Allahabad High Court. I remember many cases, incidents that made me what I am today. As my contribution to the sesquicentennial celebrations of the Allahabad High Court, I would be posting about these cases and the incidents on the blog.

I had joined the Allahabad High court in 1975, when internal emergency was imposed. But before I talk about the cases during emergency, the independence of the High Court, and the courage shown by the judges, I would like to write how the Allahabad High Court was established and some incidents and cases that occurred earlier to these difficult times. 

The next post in the series will be 'Allahabad High Court Is Born' though their will be other posts as well

LegalTrek
How I Became A Lawyer।। Allahabad High Court Is Born|| 

#AllahabadHighCourt #YatindraSingh


1 comment:

  1. तो आप भौतिकीविद बनना चाह रहे थे ?
    शौक प्रोफेसन में तब्दील हो या न हो बड़ा जटिल मुद्दा है।
    मेरा खुद मानना था कि प्रोफेसन में समझौते तो स्वीकार हो भी सकते हैं मगर हॉबी में समझौते
    स्वीकार्य नहीं.
    मगर मैं गलत था ,समझौते जीवन के अपरिहार्य सत्य हैं!
    बहरहाल, आपकी इस श्रृंखला से काफी कुछ जानने समझने को मिलेगा!

    ReplyDelete

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