For most of us, justice is a course of action that involves conducting a fair and truthful inquiry into a case by way of some definite procedure laid down by the organised community through its government. But for Gandhi, a barrister who was trained in England, justice had a different meaning altogether.
Gandhi's views of justice incorporated tyaga (sacrifice) and tapasya (suffering, austerity). He looked at justice as all-encompassing and not as a specific virtue. But with the passage of time this novel philosophy has been forgotten. The perception of lawyers toward their profession has changed.
A senior advocate of the Gujarat high court, Girish Patel, said, "During the independence era, law was treated not only as a profession, but also as a means to get victims justice. Much has changed now. Today, most lawyers consider it as a lucrative line of work."
Patel said, "Unlike Gandhiji, who never aspired to be a big lawyer, today's law students aim to pursue their studies only to make it big as a lawyer and earn more money."
Lawyers play a special role in the advancement of social, political and economic justice. Amee Yajnik, another senior high court lawyer, said, "When Gandhiji practised law, he was dedicated to the advancement of justice in all the three domains (social, political and economic). But today, questions are often raised whether the legal profession is paying only lip service or really practising Gandhiji's ideals."
Yajnik further said that Gandhiji's teaching, to keep the face of the least privileged in front, holds a lot of significance for legal professionals while they contribute to the creation, understanding, interpretation and practise of law.
Senior high court counsel, Nirupam Nanavaty, believes that even today there are many lawyers who are rendering free service; however, the percentage is very low. Nanavaty said, "Times have changed and with that the nature of litigation has changed as well. Today, most lawyers want name and fame."
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