Justice Sanjay Karol was accorded a warm and affectionate farewell as the Supreme Court Bar gathered to mark the conclusion of his judicial tenure. The farewell function, organised in his honour ahead of his retirement on August 22, saw members of the Bench and the Bar reflect on a career distinguished by judicial commitment, constitutional fidelity and a deeply humane approach to the administration of justice.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, paying tribute to Justice Karol, highlighted the compassion and sensitivity that had come to define his personality, both within and beyond the courtroom. Recalling an incident from his days in Shimla, the CJI spoke of Justice Karol stopping his vehicle to ensure medical assistance for an injured milkman, describing the episode as reflective of the empathy that he carried into his public life and judicial office. The Supreme Court, he observed, would feel the absence of a judge whose approach combined legal rigour with an abiding concern for people.
Justice Karol, who was elevated to the Supreme Court on February 6, 2023, brings his tenure to a close after a judicial career spanning several decades. His retirement marks the end of a journey through the constitutional courts in which he served in different capacities before reaching the apex court. The Supreme Court’s official records list August 22, 2026, as the date of his retirement.
In his address, Justice Karol is understood to have spoken to members of the Bar with characteristic warmth, urging young lawyers to approach their professional lives with sincerity and to find meaning and fulfilment in the demanding vocation they have chosen. The occasion was marked by tributes to his contribution to the institution and to the personal qualities that earned him affection across the legal fraternity.
The farewell, therefore, was not merely a valedictory ceremony for a retiring judge, but a reflection on a judicial journey remembered for its constitutional commitment, professional integrity and an unmistakable sense of humanity.
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