Spurned paramour
The institution of marriage is still strongly embedded in our society – although the high incidence of broken-down relationships resulting in rocketing divorces would have us believe otherwise. In parallel, extra marital relationships are still sanctioned by society and the law. The loosening of moral standards has in the meantime allowed a relaxation of stigmatized […]
The Mango Tree
The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council delivered a judgment in March 2012, the opening words of which asked the following question: “Is there a mango tree in the respondent’s back yard at No 303 Nelson Mandela Avenue, Quatre Bornes? Far from being a rhetorical question, the subject matter of the query was a genuine […]
Achieving Greatness
In the wake of the news of the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg (alias RBG), I ask myself what defines a successful legal career –at the bar or at the bench. If RBG’s legacy is anything to go by, it would appear that having been oneself a victim of discrimination would be a pre-qualification […]
Glass walls
This week we witnessed a momentous turning point in our judicial history. Our Supreme Court building more than 2 centuries old, no longer able to bear the physical demands of the profession and the users of the judicial system, discreetly made way for a brand-new Supreme Court building, at a new location. To mark the […]
The Closet Lawyer
There is very little about the practice of law that is secret. Everything from the showy outfits to the stage-managed process of a hearing, smacks more of entertainment than of serious proceedings determining people’s rights. The barrister thrives on making lasting impressions, first on his client, then on the Court and why not on the […]
Sisters in law
Up till very recently, women had no place in the legal profession. The Wikipedia biography of the first UK woman lawyer reads as follows: “Helena Normanton was a lawyer who scored a remarkable number of firsts in her legal career. She began as a history lecturer and, while teaching, she gained a first-class degree from […]
Above us only sky
In May 2020, in the midst of the Corona lockdown, Justice Gupta retired as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India. Although most of us may not know much about him, he will no doubt be remembered for having disposed of 33 cases in a single day in 2017. In his virtual farewell, feeling […]
Class of 1985
July 1985 – London. 6 young Mauritians are called to the Bar at their respective Inns of Court. I was one of them. In the 1980’s, Mauritius was rocked by socio-political tensions. There had been 2 devaluations to our rupee in quick succession and as foreign students, we felt the pinch in our everyday lives. […]
See you in Court?
For a party who has been wronged, every passing moment in which the wrong persists serves to aggravate the original wrong. Most obviously, in criminal matters, it is generally accepted that a victim is not vindicated until the crime has been publicly denounced and condemned – typically by sanctioning and sentencing the criminal. More mundane […]
Many lies make a truth
This is how I would define corruption. What is a scandal to some , is shrugged off like unwanted dandruff by others. Bring politicians into the equation and you have the same set of facts which can be twisted as truths, lies and fake news at will. And for those who have been taught to […]