India has had an indigenous and pre-existing legal system even before modern development: Chief Justice of India SA Bobde

India has had an indigenous and pre-existing legal system even before modern legal development took shape with the arrival of European colonisers, Chief Justice of India (CJI), Justice Sharad Aravind Bobde on Sunday..The country's various encounters and engagements with other cultures led to plurality and assimilation of justice delivery systems, he said..“India has had an indigenous and pre-existing legal system and dispute resolution system even before modern development and much before the coming of the Portuguese, the French and the English…India has become the land of plurality and diversity today, stemming from encounters, engagements and ultimately, the assimilation of Justice Delivery,” the CJI stated. He was speaking at an event organised at the Karnataka High Court for the launch of the book 'Courts of India: Past to Present'.The Kannada version of the book is titled “Bharathada Nyayalayagalu Andhininda Indinavarege”..The translation of the book was undertaken by Professor Meena Deshpande and her team of translators and overseen by Karnataka High Court judge, Justice BV Nagarathna."The Book indirectly deals with a subject of great importance: democracy, which is designed for the welfare of all citizens and an independent judiciary, one of the instruments which is used for achieving that purpose. It gives a representative overview of our legal history,” CJI Bobde said in his addresses.The Book will prove to be useful for law students, law professors, members of the Bar, intellectuals and members of the society at large, he added.Justice Nagarathna, while addressing the audience, said that CJI Bobde was an inspiration to introduce a similar book on courts of Karnataka, which the High Court has commenced with an appeal to the members of the Bar as well the general public to crowdsource information..Karnataka High Court set to bring out book on 'History of Courts of Karnataka'; Seeks info from public on judicial history.The event was attended by Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka, other judges of the High Court, and lawyers including Advocate General Prabhuling Navadgi in strict adherence to social distancing and wearing face masks.The event was live streamed on YouTube.