‘Justice not just matter of legal procedure but of harmony, dignity’: A judge’s parting words

Reflecting on his career as a lawyer and a judicial officer, Justice Deshpande said it was his mother’s dream that he pursue law.

“After completing 28 years of my judicial career… as I look back, memories come to mind when my mother had a dream that I should join the law course and start practising as an advocate. My father was a doctor. My elder sister and my elder brother helped me immensely in pursuing my studies. Even after joining the Bar as an advocate, I can proudly say that my parents, sister and brother supported me at every stage and helped me in making decisions,” he said.

Born in 1962 in Nagpur, Justice Deshpande completed graduation from G.S. College of Commerce and LL.B. from University College of Law at Nagpur. He joined the Bar in 1987 and practiced as an advocate at Nagpur, appearing in various courts.

He was selected for the post of Civil Judge, Senior Division in Goa Judicial Service in 1996 and joined at Ponda, Goa. Thereafter, he presided over various courts and had been Principal District and Sessions Judge, South Goa from April 2017 to June 2021 and Principal District and Sessions Judge, North Goa from June 2021 to June 2022. He was elevated as Additional Judge of Bombay High Court on June 6, 2022.

Justice Deshpande said that while appearing as an advocate in Industrial and Labour Courts matters, he witnessed the harsh realities faced by labourers.

“I found that the labourers who were removed from their jobs were unable to even pay the fees and did not have money to travel to the court. This reality transformed my personality in looking at matters in a different way and for doing well for them, for their lives,” he said.

“While working as a judge of this High Court, I got an opportunity to work at Goa as well as the Principal seat at Bombay and its benches at Nagpur and Aurangabad. We, as judges, commonly see that these four places are considered to be the ‘Char Dhams’. I consider the above four places as holy places, since justice is delivered, and the holy book, which we consider as guidance, is our Constitution,” he said.