"Glass ceilings are broken when you uplift others behind you": Chief Justice Gita Mittal bids farewell to Jammu & Kashmir High Court

Justice Gita Mittal, the first female Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, retired on Tuesday after over 28 months of service at the High Court. Chief Justice Mittal was sworn in on August 11, 2018, as the 36th Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court..In a farewell ceremony hosted by the High Court this evening, Chief Justice Mittal, who has been vocal on issues concerning the upliftment of women in various spheres, observed,."I was told that as I took over as a woman Chief Justice of Jammu & Kashmir High Court, I was breaking a glass ceiling and making history; As a woman, I have constantly questioned myself about the glass ceiling – as to whether I have ever managed to break it? However, life has taught me that the ‘glass ceiling’ is not about arriving at a position – getting a law degree, becoming a lawyer, getting appointed as a judge or even as a Chief Justice. Glass ceilings are broken when you start making a real difference to whatever you do, when you uplift others behind you and empower them to stand as tall as you do, when you enable them to stride ahead of you. So, my dear friends, in this, I have only just begun – I have really miles to go before I sleep..The glass ceilings are broken when you uplift others behind you and you empower them to stand as tall as youChief Justice Gita Mittal.Chief Justice Mittal also extended warm notes of thanks to other Judges of the High Court, the members of the Bar and the High Court staff.."I thank the Almighty for sending me to this heaven on earth with such talented and beautiful people and for this opportunity to share with the judiciary of Jammu and Kashmir and its people the achievements, best practices and the experiences of the Delhi High Court and my life", she remarked, as she concluded her address. .Days before her retirement, Chief Justice Mittal inaugurated major projects in Jammu and Kashmir such as the "Insaaf ki Dastak" project aiming to promote access to justice for people in inaccessible areas of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. .Through this project, Judges will travel to far-flung areas, which remain cut off due to harsh weather or difficult terrain, and decide on cases at the people's doorsteps. .Speaking to Bar & Bench, senior judicial officer Tahir Khurshid Raina commented that the initiative was was a laudable one, adding that Chief Justice Mittal will always be remembered with reverence in the judicial history of Jammu and Kashmir. ."She has virtually translated into reality the Constitutional promise of securing equal opportunities of justice to the people living in the remotest and inaccessible parts of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. I hope this salutary innovation of her in the process of dispensation of justice be admired globally and be put into action in other inaccessible areas across the world", Raina said. .A Youtube channel for the High Court was also launched during the launch of project 'Insaaf Ki Dastak'..The Jammu centre of the Jammu and Kashmir International Arbitration Centre (JKIAC) was another service that was inaugurated by Chief Justice Mittal days before her retirement. The Jammu centre was inaugurated in the High Court Complex, Jammu last Saturday..The final leg of her term also saw Chief Justice Mittal inaugurate Srinagar's first Family Court last October. Among other novel initiatives, Chief Justice Mittal also approved a scheme for e-internships at the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir..Chief Justice Mittal's term at the Jammu and Kashmir High Court has seen her render several significant judgments, including the recent Rs. 25,000-crore Roshni land scam case, which saw a Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Mittal declare the Roshni Act unconstitutional..On 25 October, 2019, Chief Justice Mittal authored a significant judgment in Suhail Rashid Bhat v State of Jammu and Kashmir, to strike down the Jammu & Kashmir Prevention of Beggary Act, 1960. With this ruling, the Jammu & Kashmir High Court held that the criminalisation of beggary violated constitutional principles and constituted a “disproportionate infringement of the right to meaningful life, dignity, privacy and liberty guaranteed under Article 21.”.Speaking to Bar & Bench, Delhi based civil rights lawyer Rushab Aggarwal commented, “Justice Gita Mittal, apart from being a Judge of outstanding merit and high integrity, is also a virtuous leader. She believes in capacity building at the ground level, which she has achieved by starting these innovative training programmes for interns from all over the country. Her compassionate vision and unique initiatives are aimed at taking society forward as a whole.”.Prior to her time at the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, Chief Justice Mittal had helmed the Delhi High Court as its acting Chief Justice. Known for being proactive in her responsibilities, Chief Justice Mittal made headlines when a task force headed by her made conducted a surprise visit to the Patiala House court complex in 2017..Delhi HC Acting Chief Justice, Gita Mittal ditches official car for auto rickshaw to inspect Patiala House Court.She was no less active on the administrative side at Jammu & Kashmir. In 2019, Chief Justice Mittal wrote to the Supreme Court of India calling for the appointment of additional judges to handle the caseload at the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, noting that the Court was functioning at half its judicial capacity. She also forwarded seven names for consideration by the Supreme Court Collegium. In April 2020, three additional judges were appointed to the Court, bringing the total number of serving judges to thirteen..In May 2020, Chief Justice Mittal wrote to the Government of India in her capacity as Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, calling for the establishment of a bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal in Jammu and Kashmir to hear cases concerning the service conditions of officers in the Indian Administrative Service. .In April 2020, the Central Government issued a notification extending the jurisdiction of the Chandigarh bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal to Jammu and Kashmir. However, following criticism that this would cause difficulties in access, the Government modified its order to create a separate Central Administrative Tribunal bench for Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh..Justice Mittal was confirmed as a permanent judge of the Delhi High Court on February 20, 2006, after she was appointed as an Additional Judge of the High Court on July 16, 2004..In view of her retirement from the Jammu and Kashmir High Court today, Justice Rajesh Bindal has now been appointed as the acting Chief Justice of the High Court.