Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has praised Solicitor General Tushar Mehta for his courtroom-themed writings, observing that courtroom humour often reflects the realities of legal practice, institutional functioning and the human dimension underlying the justice delivery system.
Speaking during the launch of two books authored by Mehta – ‘The Bench, the Bar and the Bizarre’ and ‘The Lawful and the Awful’ – at Bharat Mandapam on Sunday, the CJI humorously speculated on how the senior law officer managed to find time to write while handling extensive litigation responsibilities and government advisory work.
He remarked that Mehta spent most of his time appearing before constitutional courts, attending to the Union Government matters and examining voluminous case records and briefing papers. In that context, the CJI jokingly suggested that the Solicitor General may either have discovered an extra hour in the day or may have been writing humorous observations while judges continued turning pages of lengthy case compilations during hearings. The remarks drew laughter from the audience comprising judges, senior advocates, law officers and members of the legal fraternity.
He described the books as reflective accounts capturing the human side of advocacy, judicial functioning and legal practice. He observed that they demonstrated how law was shaped not only through judgments, precedents and statutory interpretation, but also through human interaction, wit, advocacy and lived courtroom experiences. He further noted that the books examined diverse aspects of legal practice, including courtroom conduct, procedural situations, artificial intelligence-related concerns in legal pleadings and unusual incidents arising during litigation.
During his address, CJI Kant also narrated several anecdotes from his years at the Bar and on the Bench, including exchanges between judges and advocates during court proceedings. He observed that wit and humour had historically formed part of courtroom culture and often helped maintain a healthy institutional atmosphere within courts.
He further praised Mehta’s literary interests and storytelling ability, describing the books as works combining legal experience, institutional introspection and humour. According to him, the books offered readers insight into the realities of legal practice beyond conventional legal discourse and academic commentary.
Mehta, one of the longest-serving Solicitors General of India, stated during the event that the books were based on real courtroom incidents and experiences rather than academic legal analysis or doctrinal commentary. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Attorney General R Venkataramani, senior judges, members of the Bar and other dignitaries were also present at the event.
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