The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the Centenary Year Celebrations of Patna High Court today at Patna, Bihar.Speaking on the occasion, the President said that when the foundation-stone of the Patna High Court building was laid on December 01, 1913, the then Viceroy and Governor-General of India, Lord Hardinge had said: “I feel assured, that within its walls in future days, justice will be administered with courage and impartiality, to the terror of evil-doers, and to the triumph of every cause which is right and true, so that the High Court of Bihar shall earn a name for sound sense and good law." The President stated that if any one goes through the history of Patna High Court, it will be seen that the Court has more than lived up to that expectation of Lord Hardinge. Landmark judgements have been delivered by this Court.
The President said that the many legal luminaries of the Patna High Court included the first President of India and one of the chief architects of our nation, Dr. Rajendra Prasad who was a practitioner before this Court. Shri Syed Hasan Imam who presided over the Indian National Congress in 1918 was also a member of the Patna High Court Bar. The first President of the Constituent Assembly, Dr. Sachchidanand Sinha was a member of the Bar of this Court. Three Chief Justices from Patna High Court namely, Justice B.P. Sinha, Justice Lalit Mohan Sharma and Justice R.M. Lodha went on to become the Chief Justice of India. The President said that the independence of the judiciary is the cornerstone of our democracy. The judicial system in our country should be not only accessible but also affordable. He urged all judges and lawyers gathered there to join hands in order to achieve the goal of accessible but affordable justice. He also stressed on the need to speed up disposal of cases, as justice delayed is justice denied. He emphasized that integration of information communication technology in Court processes is required.
The President stated that filling of vacancies in courts across the country must be taken up as a priority. The process of selection and appointment of judges should conform to the highest of standards. We must make haste in this regard but without compromising on quality. He stated that the Patna High Court has today 31 judges against the sanctioned strength of 43 judges. Among the dignitaries present on the occasion were Governor of Bihar, Chief Justice of India, Chief Minister of Bihar, Union Minister of Law & Justice, Union Minister of Communication and Information Technology and Chief Justice of Patna High Court.