The first case was an appeal involving a double murder. I pored over the file and in less than fifteen minutes, I leaned over to Justice Rajeswaran and told him,
“Sir, this Appeal deserves to be allowed.”
Rajeswaran J, a thorough gentleman, immediately responded by saying,
“Yes, brother, we will allow the appeal, you dictate the judgment; let this be your first judgment delivered on the very day of your elevation.”
I developed cold feet.
As a lawyer, I had only settled pleadings. I had no training whatsoever to dictate a judgment, that too, in a murder appeal. With trepidation, I said,
“Sir, I don’t think I can dictate the Judgment in the open court, but let us reserve orders and then, I will prepare a draft and send it for your approval.”
He agreed and it fell on me to write the judgment. I was really at sea. Anxiously, I lay my hands on a few old law journals which I then pored over to acquaint myself with the structure and formulation of a judgment in a murder appeal.
Source: Barandbench
