Bar must reform approach to tackle case delays, costs: SC judge

Justice Nagarathna, speaking at the 13th convocation of National Law University in Delhi, emphasised that the Indian legal system faces significant structural challenges rooted in pendency and rising expenses. She urged bar councils and legal practitioners to reconsider their collective responsibilities and priorities in sustaining an effective justice dispensation framework.

Addressing the relationship between bar councils and their members, Justice Nagarathna warned that a lack of respect and trust within the profession signals deeper problems. "When a bar council does not earn the respect of its members, it is not a good sign for the legal profession," she stated, underscoring the need for strengthened institutional credibility.

The judge stressed that bar councils must critically examine their core mandate: upholding professional ethics, morality and competence standards. Simultaneously, individual advocates must reassess their fundamental duty to serve distressed litigants and protect the constitutional foundations of India's democracy. "The lawyers of this country are the torchbearers of the values of our Constitution," Justice Nagarathna noted. "Any lapse or errors of the bar will have a deep impact on our political and civic life."

Her remarks highlight growing concerns within the judiciary about systemic inefficiencies and the legal profession's role in perpetuating them, with calls for comprehensive reform rather than incremental adjustments.