'Behind Every Successful Woman Is a Husband': Justice V Mohana
Justice V. Mohana addresses SCBA felicitation after Supreme Court elevation.
"Behind every successful woman, there is a husband and an entire family," newly appointed Supreme Court judge Justice V. Mohana said recently, delivering an emotional account of her journey from a government school in Tamil Nadu to the country's highest court while crediting her husband, parents, teachers, mentors and the Bar for shaping her legal career.
Speaking at a felicitation ceremony organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) for five newly appointed Supreme Court judges, Justice Mohana said her elevation was the culmination of decades of support from those who stood by her both at home and in the profession.
The felicitation function, held at the Auditorium in the Administrative Building Complex of the Supreme Court, honoured Justices Sheel Nagu, Shree Chandrashekhar, Sanjeev Sachdeva, Arun Palli and V. Mohana, who were recently appointed to the apex court.
The event was attended by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, judges of the Supreme Court, Attorney General R. Venkataramani, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, SCBA President Vikas Singh, office-bearers of the Bar Association, senior advocates and members of the Bar.
Describing the occasion as "a very emotional moment", Justice Mohana said she was standing before the very institution where she had grown as a lawyer.
"This is the place where I grew up, where I honed my skills as a professional, where I got so much love and affection. This is the Bar which has actually promoted, encouraged me, and allowed me to grow my wings," she said.
Justice Mohana thanked the Chief Justice of India and the members of the Supreme Court Collegium for reposing faith in her by recommending her elevation. She also paid tribute to her parents, particularly her mother, whom she described as the driving force behind her legal career.
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"It is my mother's dream that has brought me here," she said, adding that she had never imagined that one day she would stand before the legal fraternity as a judge of the Supreme Court.
Recalling her childhood, Justice Mohana said she studied in a government school where teachers supported her not only academically but also by providing essentials such as uniforms and geometry boxes whenever required. She later joined Government Law College, Coimbatore, as part of the first batch of the five-year law course introduced in Tamil Nadu between 1983 and 1988.
She also fondly remembered that fellow Supreme Court judge Justice Kalpathy Venkataraman Vishwanathan was her classmate and said they belonged to that "proud batch".
Justice Mohana narrated how she began her legal career under veteran civil lawyer M. Panchapakesan in Coimbatore, where she learnt the fundamentals of civil trial practice and the Civil Procedure Code before shifting to Delhi in 1992 on his encouragement.
Reflecting on the early years of her married life, she recalled living in a modest barsati accommodation in Karol Bagh. She said seeing her March 1994 Supreme Court Bar Association membership form during the felicitation ceremony brought back memories of those days.
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She said she had the privilege of working with several leading members of the Bar and had briefed the Attorney General for India in numerous matters, experiences that helped shape her professional journey before she was designated a Senior Advocate by the full court of the Supreme Court in 2015.
Expressing gratitude to her juniors, Justice Mohana said they had stood by her throughout her career by meticulously preparing every case. She encouraged young lawyers to dream big, saying that if someone from Pollachi, Erode and Coimbatore could reach the Supreme Court Bench, the younger generation could achieve even greater heights.
She also acknowledged the support of her siblings, noting that she was the eleventh among thirteen children, and thanked her in-laws, her son and even the caregiver who looked after him while she pursued a demanding legal career.
Concluding her address, Justice Mohana said she hoped to justify the confidence reposed in her by discharging her judicial responsibilities with the continued affection and cooperation of the Bar and the guidance of her brother and sister judges. "I am hopeful that I will be able to do the duty that has been given to me," she said.