In a powerful testament to duty and principle, Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka of the Supreme Court of India delivered 11 verdicts on his last working day, just hours after returning from Mumbai where he had attended the last rites of his mother.
Set to retire officially on Saturday, 24 May, Justice Oka demonstrated unwavering commitment by returning to the Bench in Delhi on Friday morning, following his mother’s passing the previous day. In a moving final appearance, he presided over judgments before joining Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on the ceremonial Bench.
“It was my honest endeavour to uphold the Constitution. In doing so, I may have offended some, but a judge must never hesitate to offend anyone in the line of duty,” he said, reflecting on a career grounded in fidelity to the law over popularity.
Justice Oka, who turns 65 on 25 May, rejected conventional retirement-day practices, insisting on working a full day. At a farewell hosted by the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCAORA) earlier this week, he questioned the tradition of judges ceasing work by lunchtime on their final day. “Why should a retiring judge be told to go home immediately after lunch?” he asked. “That practice must change.”
He added, “I hate the word ‘retirement’ and since January, I had decided to hear as many matters as possible.”
Justice Oka’s legal journey began in 1983, when he enrolled as an advocate after studying law at the University of Bombay. He practised initially in Thane and later under former Bombay High Court judge VP Tipnis. He was appointed as a judge of the Bombay High Court in 2003, made permanent in 2005, and went on to serve as Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court before his elevation to the Supreme Court in August 2021.
During Friday’s proceedings, Justice Oka remarked, “I believe that this is one court which can uphold constitutional liberties. That was my humble endeavour. I am sure this court will continue to uphold liberty, because that was the dream of the framers of the Constitution.”
Overcome with emotion, he concluded his address with heartfelt gratitude: “I am very speechless. I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart. I will only cherish the memories made in this court.”
Justice Oka’s final day on the Bench, marked by personal grief and professional resolve, stands as a powerful reminder of the solemn responsibilities of the judiciary—and the enduring spirit of one of its most steadfast guardians.
