New Delhi, Oct 16 (PTI) A good lawyer is not necessarily one who knows law, but the one who knows where to locate the law, Supreme Court judge K V Vishwanathan said on Wednesday.
Speaking as the guest of honour at the launch of the 19th edition of ‘Specific Relief Act’ authored by senior advocate Sudipto Sarkar and advocate-on-record Sidharth Sethi and published by LexisNexis, the apex court judge said the book would be an “invaluable” asset to legal practitioners, students and anyone concerned with law.
The book, considered a legal classic, is a section-wise commentary on the Specific Relief Act of 1963 which was amended in 2018.
Justice Vishwanathan said, “I think, as is often said in our profession, the good lawyer is one who, not necessarily, knows the law, but who knows where to locate the law (in the vast statute book). But a good lawyer can only locate the law if he has a good set of treatises to back him.
“And I think in that galaxy of books, ‘Sarkar Specific Relief Act’ already has a pride of place, and it is only fitting that close on the heels of the 2018 amendment to the act, the 19th edition, comprehensively covering the case law and dealing with the position of law in other jurisdiction he is brought out.
“So in that sense, the book is timely, and it is bound to prove to be an invaluable asset to the members of the legal fraternity, to students in the judicial academies and almost concerned with law in any manner whatsoever,” he said.
Supreme Court judge Justice Surya Kant, who was the chief guest at the event said in his keynote address that the book penned in the 20th century was a “solution manual” for one of the most complicated statutes in civil law.
He said the 1963 act was leaning heavily towards remedies, but the 2018 amendment “revolutionised” this by amending some sections.
“As India stands at the dream of exponential economic growth, this amendment is not just about legal reform, it is about creating the foundation for our country’s future, both economically and legally. The amendment instills a sense of security among both domestic and international investors,” he said.
He concluded, “In celebrating the 19th edition of ‘Sarkar Specific Relief Act’, we are not only honouring a book, but also celebrating the role that the law book plays in shaping our society. Legal texts like this one serve as pillars of knowledge, guiding us through the complexities of our legal system.” Senior Advocate Sarkar said the book will not only enhance understanding of the law but will also equip the readers with the analytical tools necessary to apply it effectively in real-world scenarios. PTI MNR TIR TIR
