“I Want To Be A Free Person Untrammelled By Judicial Office Duties”: Justice V Ramasubramanian On His Post-Retirement Plans

Justice V Ramasubramanian made a light-hearted remark on his last day as a Supreme Court justice on how his farewell was unlike other judges’ farewells.

On Friday, the judge sat on a ceremonial bench with Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha.

He cited the common occurrence of a retiring judge’s farewell, in which either the judge or one of the speakers tears up. He made a light-hearted joke about his inability to cry because he was always happy.

“Normally, a farewell is marked by either the retiring judge or one of the speakers crying. I am incapable of crying since I always permeate happiness. As a result, none of you also shed tears on my departure,” he stated.

CJI Chandrachud emphasized Justice Ramasubramanian’s dedication to his judicial duties, as well as his persuits in Sanskrit and Tamil.

“I wonder if there’s anything left for him to read,” he added.

He revealed that he asked Justice Ramasubramanian to fill the position of tribunal chairman whenever a vacancy arose. However, Justice Ramasubramanian expressed his desire to remain a free person untrammelled by the duties of a judicial office.

The Chief Justice, on the other hand, expressed his hope that the retiring judge would consider his appeal.

“I hope he accepts his Chief Justice’s appeal. He has an innate ability to separate the grain from the chaff,” he stated.

R Venkataramani, India’s Attorney General (AG), stated that Justice Ramasubramanian’s tenure at the Supreme Court was far too short.

He stated that among the many wonderful qualities that the judge brought with him was his ability to be a modest human being.

Finally, the AG stated that the judge’s scholarship and erudition will make him a valuable asset to the nation.

Tushar Mehta, India’s Solicitor General (SG), was also present for the ceremonial bench proceeding. He lauded Justice Ramasubramanian’s pleasant demeanour and stated that no lawyer was hesitant to argue before him.

He highlighted that the judge had a great sense of humour as well as a lot of common sense.

The SG further added that the energy in Justice Ramasubramanian’s court at 10:30 AM was the same as it was at 4 PM, with no change even in the judge’s smile.

On February 16, 1983, Justice Ramasubramanian became a member of the bar. He practised before the Madras High Court for roughly 23 years. On July 31, 2006, he was appointed as an additional judge of the Madras High Court, then on November 9, 2009, he was appointed as a permanent judge.

He was transferred to the High Court of Judicature in Hyderabad at his own request on April 27, 2016. He was appointed as a judge of the Telangana High Court on January 1, 2019, following the bifurcation of the two states. He served as Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court from June 22, 2019, until his appointment as a Supreme Court judge on September 23, 2019.