The Kerala High Court on Friday held a full-court reference to mark the last working day of retiring Justice VG Arun.
Speaking at the farewell event, Justice Arun expressed that his achievements were not just his accomplishments but the result of a collective effort.
He acknowledged the role played by his family and his seniors, under whose guidance and support his career took shape.
He referred to his long association with the Indian Law Reports (Kerala Series) as its Editor for nearly 13 years and stated that the role gave him the opportunity to closely study judgments and understand judgment writing.
Justice Arun said he took pride in having been able to nurture young lawyers at the Bar and expressed hope for their future in the profession, while also pointing at the representation of women on the Bench, which he said was scarce, despite the presence of several accomplished women lawyers at the bar. He stated that he hoped for this imbalance to change in the years to come.
He went on to express that he looked forward to retirement life.
"Retirement, I'm told, is not an end, but a punctuation mark, perhaps a semicolon rather than a full stop. I look forward to reading judgements without having to write them, to revisiting books, long neglected and to discovering other life beyond our rooms is as orderly as the causelists never was. On that note I take leave of this Court, grateful once again to my colleagues on the bench, the members of the bar, and with enduring respect for the institution, I was privileged to serve. Thank you," Justice Arun stated while concluding his speech.
As Justice Arun concluded his address, in a rare gesture, the full court rose in applause for nearly 10 to 15 seconds.
The full-court farewell reference was attended by others judges of the High Court, Kerala's Advocate General Gopalakrishna Kurup K and the President of the Kerala High Court Advocates' Association (KHCAA) Peeyus A Kottam, among others.
Addressing the gathering, AG Kurup described the occasion marked by a "solemn sense of poignancy" as the Court had assembled to bid farewell to a judge with a distinguished and remarkable career.
AG Kurup highlighted how Justice Arun listened with patience, without interrupting an argument from advocates and added that appearing before him for cases was an experience in judicial courteousness.
KHCAA president Peeyus A Kottam observed that that Justice Arun remained a truly bar friendly judge even after his elevation, further stating how the judge always had an approachable demeanour and courteous conduct.
"Young members of the bar in particular found in your lordship a source of encouragement and confidence. Junior advocates were given the freedom to participate fearlessly, to speak without hesitation, and to grow without anxiety. Seniors and juniors were treated with equal respect, and encouragement flowed universally towards the young, often with the patience, kindness, and quiet guidance," President Kottam said.
Justice AK Jayasankaran Nambiar also addressed the gathering. He spoke of how the Kerala High Court had witnessed Justice Arun's seamless transition from an erudite and eloquent lawyer to an equally accomplished judge of the Court.
"As he demits office, the Court bids farewell to a jurist whose integrity, independence, and dedication have left an enduring imprint on the institution, & whose legacy will continue to guide future generation of lawyers and judges," Justice Nambiar added.
Justice VG Arun was born on January 25, 1964. He completed his graduation in Economics from Baselius College, Kottayam, before pursuing his legal education from the Kerala Law Academy, Thiruvananthapuram. He was enrolled as an advocate on January 8, 1989, and began his legal practice in civil and criminal courts at Calicut.
In December 1990, Justice Arun shifted his practice to the High Court of Kerala, where he steadily built a reputation as a capable and disciplined lawyer.
After nearly three decades at the Bar, he was sworn in as an Additional Judge of the Kerala High Court on November 5, 2018 and was later appointed as a Permanent Judge of the High Court with effect from September 14, 2020.
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