Legal Workshop Series: Opening Session by Harish Salve

On 31^st July 2010, Harish Salve began the opening session of the legal workshop series held at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi. The name, Harish Salve, needs no formal introduction for such has been his brilliance, fame and success as a lawyer.

Before the distinguished guests seated on the dais of the All India Seminar on Judicial Reforms, Harish Salve gave an inspiring speech about how a legal workshop like this which aims to present a balance sheet of how the administration of justice has been taking place from the years 1950 to 2010 is truly an ‘ambitious scheme.’

Legal Workshop Series: India is one of the Potential Saviors of the World, Says Harish Salve

From Harish Salve’s opening address before the President of India, the Chief Justice of India and other distinguished guests, here are the key highlights from his speech at this prestigious legal workshop:

• The world looks at India differently.

• We are now known as one of the ‘BRIC countries’ that can help save the world from the mess that it is in. We are seen as one of the potential saviors of the world today.

• We moved from sterile socialism to a vibrant, resurgent powerhouse model.

• Our justice delivery system has to move towards these new developments.

Legal Workshop Series: Our Justice Delivery System Needs Repair, Says Harish Salve

Most lawyers, students and academicians, who were present at the legal workshop, listened to Harish Salve’s opening speech with great interest. Such is the power of his articulation. His voice is perfectly modulated and powerfully persuasive. There is the aura of confidence, success and sheer brilliance to this lawyer that you can feel motivated just by watching him articulate his thoughts before a rapt audience.

He thrilled the audience by asking, “Who would have thought that the bonds issued by the government of India would rank much higher than that of many European countries that are now on the brink of bankruptcy?”

He also stated, “We need to fix the justice delivery system. Certainty is the key in capital investment. We’ve to adapt our legal system and focus on ADR (alternative dispute resolution) for sorting out delays.”

He pointed out the following problems affect the justice delivery system:

• Delay

• Credibility

• Not beyond repair but it cries out for repair

Harish Salve completed his opening speech by thanking P.H.Parekh, President of the Confederation of Indian Bar for arranging this legal workshop.

[Swapna Raghu Sanand, Editor @lawisgreek.com, is the author of this report on the Opening Session of the All India Seminar on Judicial Reforms.]