Now Reading: Justice Sanjay Karol retires, says judges not gods
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Justice Sanjay Karol retires, says judges not gods
Supreme Court Justice Sanjay Karol retired on August 23, 2025, after a farewell ceremony where he said judges "are not gods" and urged the Bar to remain strong. Speaking at the Supreme Court Bar Association function, he told young lawyers that real learning happens in courtrooms, not from studying Articles 14 and 21 in college. He said judges must see the person behind every case and understand that the strength of the judiciary comes from the Bar.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant praised Justice Karol for encouraging junior lawyers and for treating his courtroom as a space for dialogue. He recalled Justice Karol taking suo motu notice of a water shortage in Shimla and personally visiting a distribution site. Justice Karol also announced he would be the first judge to undergo mediation training on August 23, 2026.
Justice Karol served as judge of the Himachal Pradesh High Court from 2007, Chief Justice of the Tripura and Patna High Courts, and was elevated to the Supreme Court in February 2023. He said the true significance of the court lies in the faith of ordinary citizens and that judges must "live the Constitution" beyond just applying it.
Indian Opinion Analysis
All four sources reported the same farewell speech with straight factual coverage, no discernible slant. LiveLaw and Bar & Bench led with Justice Karol's remarks on the Bar and young lawyers, while Times of India led with his comment that judges are not gods. The differences are purely editorial choices of which quote to front, not stance. The consistent message is that Justice Karol emphasised humility, listening, and the importance of the Bar. Readers should note his commitment to mediation, with a concrete date for his own training in 2026, as a rare public pledge by a retiring judge.
Coverage: 4 sources, 4 neutral
Sources (4): livelaw.in (neutral report), livelaw.in (2) (neutral report), barandbench.com (neutral report), timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 4 sources linked above. Methodology and corrections.
Updated: this story now draws on 4 sources.
