Justice AS Oka Delivers 11 Judgments on Final Day in Office, Upholding His Commitment to Duty Even Amid Personal Loss
In a remarkable display of dedication to his judicial responsibilities, Supreme Court judge Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka delivered 11 verdicts on his final working day at the apex court on Friday. His retirement is scheduled for Saturday, May 24. The day of intense work came just after he faced a deeply personal loss—the passing of his mother.
Despite the bereavement, Justice Oka remained committed to his duties, briefly traveling to Mumbai earlier in the week to attend the last rites of his mother before returning to New Delhi to resume court proceedings. His actions have drawn wide respect from legal professionals and observers for his unwavering commitment to the justice system, even in times of profound personal grief.
Justice Oka was part of his regular bench on Friday morning, where he pronounced 11 separate judgments. Following this, he joined the ceremonial bench in the Supreme Court alongside Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and other judges, marking the formal conclusion of his judicial career at the top court.
The 64-year-old judge has been widely acknowledged for his judicial acumen, integrity, and principled approach to the law. His final acts on the Bench serve as a reflection of his career-long dedication to the judiciary and the principles of justice.
Justice Oka’s commitment to work even on his last official day stands in contrast to a long-standing tradition in the Supreme Court, where retiring judges typically refrain from hearing cases or delivering judgments on their final working day. Addressing this practice earlier in the week during a felicitation ceremony hosted by the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCOARA), Justice Oka openly expressed his disagreement with the custom.
“I do not agree with the tradition followed in the Supreme Court, where the retiring judge refrains from working on the last day,” he remarked. “It might take time to do away with such a practice, but I feel a sense of satisfaction in knowing that I will be sitting on a regular bench and pronouncing some judgments on my final day in office.”
The event organized by SCOARA was attended by senior advocates, fellow judges, and legal professionals, many of whom paid tribute to Justice Oka’s distinguished tenure and his contributions to Indian jurisprudence. Throughout his career, Justice Oka has been known for his emphasis on constitutional values, protection of civil liberties, and his clarity in legal reasoning.
Justice Oka was elevated to the Supreme Court in August 2021. Before this, he served as the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court and, before that, as a judge of the Bombay High Court, where he delivered several landmark rulings that shaped Indian constitutional and civil law.
As the legal fraternity bids farewell to one of its stalwarts, Justice Oka’s decision to spend his final day on the Bench doing what he has always done—delivering justice—will be remembered as a symbol of his professional ethos and deep sense of duty.
