Bar Association accords welcome to Chief Justice Gita Mittal, Judges of J&K High Court

STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: J&K High Court Bar Association, Jammu accorded welcome to Chief Justice Gita Mittal, Justice Sindhu Sharma and Justice Rashid Ali Dar-Judges of High Court of Jammu and Kashmir at a function held here on Tuesday.
This is for the first time that a lady Chief Justice and a practicing lady lawyer were elevated as a Judge of High Court of J&K besides Justice Rashid Ali Dar from District Judiciary.
Justice D.S Thakur, Justice Sanjeev Kumar, Justice Sanjay Kumar Gupta, former Judges namely Justice K.K Gupta, eldest member of the judicial family Justice G.D Sharma and B.L Bhat besides Learned Advocate General D.C Raina also graced the occasion.
B.S Slathia President, Sachin Gupta Vice President, Prem Sadotra General Secretary, Himanshu Sharma Joint Secretary and Chetan Misri Treasurer honoured the Chief Justice, Gita Mittal by presenting bouquets on behalf of the J&K High Court Bar Association as a token of love and affection.
While welcoming the Chief Justice, Slathia said that Justice Kumari Gita Mittal was a top lawyer in Delhi High Court and Supreme Court of India. She was called to Bench of the Delhi High Court as an Additional Judge on July 16, 2004. He further said that she is also the Chairperson of SAMADHAN- The Delhi High Court Mediation and Conciliation Centre. He further said that Justice Gita Mittal has written on various issues and topics including protection of Human Rights, Impact of Religion & Culture, Death Penalty, Environmental Law and Issues.
Speaking on the occasion, Slathia said that High Court is lacking number of Judges in High Court of J and K as the sanctioned strength is 17 but at present there are only nine sitting Judges but the actual requirement is of 25 judges including Chief Justice 12 each in both Jammu as well as in Srinagar Wing, as the litigants are suffering due to lack of strength of Judges in the High Court and he is hoping that Justice Gita Mittal would take proper note of it.
While addressing the gathering, the Chief Justice Gita Mittal said “I shall work in the High Court of J&K with true spirit and I would always try to deliver justice to all as per the merit of the cases.”
Chief Justice said that she is overwhelmed with this welcome function and she will cherish these memories for rest of her life. She further said that she has designed vulnerable witness Court room projects in Delhi Trial Court initially. Later Delhi became the first city to have the witness protection set-up. She has designed this to provide protection, privacy, confidentiality and comfort to vulnerable witnesses in an in-Camera atmosphere in sexual offences cases, as it is very difficult for the victim to stand with the accused and narrate the incidence in front of him which is a worse thing for the victim to explain. She further said that she had called for the report from the Registrar General of the High Court regarding deficiency in infrastructure in the Court premises in different District and Mufassil Courts and she will leave no stone unturned to solve the problems which are being faced by the Judicial Officer, advocates and litigants. She further said that she will try to visit all remote districts of the State where the Courts are facing in-fractural deficiencies and try to redress the same.
Prem Sadotra, General Secretary compered the proceeding of the function. Sachin Gupta, Vice President presented vote of thanks and appreciated the role of Chief Justice.
Himanshu Sharma, Joint Secretary and Chetan Misri, Treasurer concluded the function with the reciting of National Anthem. Haji Ghulam Mohammad and his team presented cultural programme and sang Dogri Songs on this occasion. Sanjeev Verma, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu; DIG Sahey; Arvind Kotwal Commissioner JMC, Ramesh Kumar Deputy Commissioner, Jammu; Asheesh Kumar Jha Commandant CRPF and other officers were also present.