‘The Robe We Wear Has Real-Life Implications’: Justice Shalinder Kaur at Farewell Reference

Justice Shalinder Kaur, who demitted office as a judge of the Delhi High Court, said in her farewell address that the “robe we wear bestows an authority with real-life implications,” underlining the responsibility and compassion required in adjudication.

She was speaking at the full court reference organised by the Delhi High Court to bid her farewell, where Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhayay and other judges recalled her contribution to the Bench.

In her address, Justice Kaur reflected on her three-decade-long judicial journey, observing that while cases may appear routine to judges, they often “carry somebody’s world.”

Justice Shalinder Kaur said. “There were days when the tussle was between the head and the heart, and each such matter taught me that adjudications travel far beyond the courtroom. In every file and in every litigant, I encountered not just law but stories and struggles.”

She added, “Throughout my tenure on the Bench, I was constantly reminded that the robe we wear bestows an authority with real-life implications. There were times when the journey felt heavy and the road ahead daunting. But as I sat down to write this speech, I realised how kind memory can be; it softens the difficult days and brings forth the moments that truly matter. Over time, I came to understand that the rough patches do not last. They are chapters, not the whole story.”

Justice Kaur expressed her gratitude to the former Chief Justices Satish Chandra Sharma, Manmohan, and Vibhu Bakhru, and to the present Chief Justice, Justice DK Upadhyaya. She also thanked her colleagues at the Bench for their support during her tenure.

Thanking her family, Justice Kaur grew visibly emotional as she dedicated her journey to her father. “With great emotion, I wish to dedicate this to my father, a man of firm resolve who had unwavering faith in the potential of his daughters. He never allowed the fact that he had three daughters to be seen as a limitation; instead, he made it the foundation of our strength,” she said. She also acknowledged her mother’s constant encouragement and sacrifices, which, she noted, had been instrumental in shaping her career.

Justice Shalinder Kaur graduated with a B.A. (Hons.) in Political Science from Miranda House, University of Delhi, in 1985. She went on to pursue law at the Campus Law Centre, completing her LL.B. in 1988, followed by an LL.M. from Kurukshetra University.

She joined the Delhi Judicial Service in 1992 and was promoted to the Delhi Higher Judicial Service in 2003. During her career, she presided over civil and criminal cases, including trials involving the Central Bureau of Investigation, sensitive criminal matters, matrimonial disputes, child custody petitions and motor accident claims. She also served as District and Sessions Judge in Shahdara at Karkardooma Courts, and in the South-East and South Districts at Saket Courts. At different stages, she was also Judge In-charge of Delhi Mediation Centres.

In 2005, Justice Kaur underwent 40 hours of training in mediation and later became a Master Trainer with the Mediation and Conciliation Project Committee of the Supreme Court of India, after completing her Training of Trainers (TOT) with experts from the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR), UK.

Farewell Address: Justice Shalinder Kaur

Date: 4 September 2025