Udaipur. Rajasthan Legislative Assembly Speaker Shri Vasudev Devnani said that advocates are an important pillar of society and play a vital role in maintaining public faith in the justice system. He emphasized that lawyers should work with integrity, harmony, and sensitivity, and make sincere efforts to ensure affordable and accessible justice for victims and the needy.

Shri Devnani was addressing the oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected executive body of the Udaipur Bar Association as the chief guest on Saturday at the New Auditorium of RNT Medical College. The programme was presided over by District and Sessions Judge Gyan Prakash Gupta. Special guests included Udaipur City MLA Tarachand Jain, Member of the State Human Rights Commission Justice Ramchandra Singh Jhala, and Additional Advocate General Dr. Praveen Khandelwal. The programme began with the lighting of the ceremonial lamp.

Outgoing President Chandrabhan Singh Shaktawat, General Secretary Mahavir Prasad Sharma, newly elected President Jitendra Jain, General Secretary Lokesh Gurjar, along with other office bearers, welcomed the guests. As per the tradition of the Udaipur Bar Association, outgoing President Shri Shaktawat administered the oath to the new President Shri Jain, who in turn administered the oath to the General Secretary and other members of the executive committee.

 Significant Role of Lawyers in the Freedom Struggle

Addressing the gathering, Shri Devnani said that the history of the Indian judicial system is very ancient, with references found in texts such as the *Manusmriti* and *Kautilya’s Arthashastra*. He highlighted the major contribution of advocates in India’s freedom movement, noting that many freedom fighters—including Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Lala Lajpat Rai, Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, and Chittaranjan Das—were lawyers by profession. After independence as well, advocates played a crucial role in drafting the Constitution of India. Even today, the relevance of advocates in upholding justice and maintaining social balance remains self-evident.

 Aim Should Be Justice, Not Merely Winning Cases

Shri Devnani stressed that the role of an advocate should not be limited to winning cases for clients; rather, the foremost objective should be to ensure justice. He said that maintaining public trust in the legal system is a shared responsibility of the government, administration, and the bench and bar alike. He also urged senior advocates to guide and mentor young lawyers so that the dignity of the justice system is preserved.

 Blindfold Removed from the Goddess of Justice

Shri Devnani remarked that the Goddess of Justice was traditionally depicted with a blindfold, but under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the central government has removed that blindfold. This, he said, would further strengthen transparency and impartiality in the justice system.

 Assurance to Act as a Bridge

During the programme, office bearers of the Bar Association requested the Assembly Speaker to assist in fulfilling the long-pending demand for a High Court bench in Udaipur. In response, Shri Devnani assured them that when a Bar delegation visits Jaipur, he would act as a bridge in facilitating meetings with the Chief Minister, the Law Minister, and other concerned authorities, and would also personally advocate for the demand.

 

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