[Book Review] Shaping The Judges: Essays in Honour of Dr Balram K Gupta

On August 2, 2025, an interesting collection of essays and tributes will be published and released as a book under the title 'Shaping The Judges' at the Chandigarh Judicial Academy. This is a collection of essays in honour of Prof. (Dr.) Balram K. Gupta and it is indeed a privilege to write this book review.

Professor (Dr.) Balram K. Gupta was born in 1944 and earned his law degree in 1966 and a master’s degree in 1968. Obviously, bent towards academic pursuit, he pursued his passion and became the second person to be awarded a doctorate from the Panjab University at Chandigarh. In 1969, he began his career as a law teacher and, very quickly, his scholarship and teaching skills earned him name and fame not only in his home State of Punjab, but in academic circles throughout the country.  Several eminent judges and lawyers have had the privilege of attending his lectures and there is no doubt that their subsequent careers at the Bar, and then on the Bench, were due to their initial training under him. He became the youngest professor, and later was the Chairman of the Department of Law at Punjab University from 1986 to 1989. Dr. Gupta then made an unusual shift by beginning full time practice as an advocate in 1991. In a short span of 11 year, his rapid rise in the legal profession led to his designation as a Senior Advocate in 2002. Thereafter, there was yet another unusual turn of events.

Dr. Gupta became the Director of the National Judicial Academy at Bhopal.  Thus, he was entrusted with the challenging task of conducting training programmes, seminars and symposia for High Court and District judges.  After this assignment, he returned to Chandigarh and became the Director of the Chandigarh Judicial Academy. 

Thus, he has led a remarkable life that covers a very successful career as a teacher of law, as a senior advocate and then as an institution builder, both at Bhopal and later at Chandigarh. The fact that he made an enormous impact on all those who came in contact with him is clear from the contents of this book that deserves to be read by judges, lawyers and, more particularly, by students of law. 

The book is divided in two parts. Part-A consists of 26 essays by eminent sitting and retired Supreme Court and High Courts judges, and also by other eminent personalities in the field of law. The essays are an excellent mix that cover not only important legal issues but also deal with artificial intelligence, judicial stress, the role of humour in judgement writing and on creative judicial thinking. It is this wide variety of topics that makes this book eminently readable. 

Part-B consists of tributes and testimonies by judges and academic scholars who had the privilege and good fortune of having a close association with Dr. Gupta. These tributes are straight from the heart and bear testimony to his sterling qualities as a human being.  Equally interesting is the Introduction written by his daughter, Dr. Shruti Bedi, which brings out his role as a devoted husband and father. Dr. Gupta can indeed look back on a life well-lived. Now, in the eight decade of his life, Dr. Gupta continues as Chief Advisor to the Chandigarh Judicial Academy and also continues to write articles and deliver lectures.

This book deserves to be on the bookshelf of every lawyer and judge for the wide range of topics that are covered and the eminence of those who have written them. 

Arvind P. Datar is a Senior Advocate.