Two junior judges in the district joined the judicial service by taking the oath of allegiance in the Principal District Judge’s open court at Manjeri on Tuesday, setting a history of sorts in the oath taking of junior judges in the country.
According to judicial officers in the district, Lilly Krishnan and Sanu C., who took charge as Gram Nyayalayas at Pulamanthol and Edappal respectively, became the first junior judges of the lower judiciary to take the oath in an open court.
Principal District Judge K. Sanil Kumar decided to break the convention of oath taking in the chamber and administered the oath to Ms. Lilly and Mr. Sanu in his open court in the presence of other judges, lawyers and magisterial staff.
Ms. Lilly and Mr. Sanu were among the 35 junior judicial officers who joined the service on Tuesday. However, the others were administered the oath in the chambers of the Principal District Judges of their respective judicial districts.
Although all judges across the board are taking the same oath of allegiance, the mode of oath taking differed for the judges of higher and lower judiciary. “We are ringing in parity and a welcome change with the permission of the High Court,” said Chief Judicial Magistrate P.M. Suresh.
The custom being followed till now in the country is that only the judges of higher judiciary (Supreme Court, High Court and District Judges) would take the oath in an open court in the presence of guests and dignitaries.
Mr. Sanil Kumar found it unfair to deny the junior judges the privilege of taking oath in front of dignitaries and VIPs. According to judicial officers, other judicial districts in the State are likely to follow the Manjeri pattern.
