Reminiscences and Reflections of a Chief Justice

This is an autobiography of a person of extra-ordinary caliber and excellence, who by dint of his hard work, determination and single minded devotion rose to the top of the legal profession without any help from any quarter. The book tells us about the author as a lawyer, as a Judge of the Patna High Court, as a Chief Justice of the Nagpur High Court, as a Judge of the Supreme Court and finally as the Chief Justice of India. It also gives us a pen-picture of the judicial system of his times. The book contains some valuable observations made by the author on the judges of the various High Courts and the Supreme court of India; views on Justice Jawala Prasad, Justice P.R. Das, Justice Syed Fazl Ali, Justice B.K. Mullick, chief Justice B.K. Mookerjee, Chief Justice S.R. Das, Justice N.H. Bhagwati, Chief Justice Mehr Chand Mahajan, etc., are informative as well as instructive. Observations have also been made on the relations between the Bench and the Bar. Emphasis is laid on the quality of patience a judge must possess, and on the value of compromise in litigation. The book is verily a mine of information, a store-house packed with knowledge abut the then prevailing working of the judicial system in the country for long fifty years. The information that be speaks of the qualities of head and heart of the judges of caliber, who had the privilege of hearing cases and giving judgements, is inspiring.