'Fame Is Of No Relevance To A Judge': Justice Sureshwar Thakur Bids Farewell To Punjab & Haryana High Court

Justice Sureshwar Thakur on Thursday bid farewell to the Punjab & Haryana High Court  after having served as a High Court judge for over 11 years.

Addressing the bar Justice Thakur said, "media and fame is of no relevance for a judge...a judge have to be fearless; if fear starts creeping in the mind of a judge or a lawyer then it will lead to collapse of the judicial system...fear also leads to the intellectual pressure and then colossal damage is caused to the judicial institution."

"You all have to be social engineers and ensure that you live up to the expectations of downtrodden and rich..." He added further.

He thanked Justice Surya Kant, the then Chief of the High CourJustice Ravi Shankar Jha for the tremendous support. He also thanked bar for the love and respect he received during his tenure.

Justice Thakur compared his retirement as attaining salvation and said he is freed today from all the  ties.

"A judge must always remember to remain grounded and humble, not elevated by pride. Delivering justice is a sacred duty," he added.

The event was attended by the Chief Justice Sheel Nagu, judges of the High Court and members of the Bar.

President of the High Court Association Sartej Narula, Vice President Nilesh Bhardwaj and Secretary Gangandeep Jammu also addressed the gathering.

Justice Sureshwar Thakur, who hails from Himachal Pradesh, has had a long and illustrious career in the legal and judicial services. He began his practice in 1987 at the High Court of Himachal Pradesh, handling a wide range of matters including civil, criminal, and constitutional cases.

From 1994 to 2000, Justice Thakur served as the Additional Central Government Standing Counsel, representing the Union of India in the High Court. During this period, he also briefly held the role of Litigation In-Charge for Union of India cases, further deepening his experience in public law.

In 2001, he transitioned to the judiciary and was appointed as Additional District and Sessions Judge, with his first posting at Kangra (Dharamshala). His judicial journey then took him to several key positions across Himachal Pradesh. From 2002 to 2005, he served as Additional District and Sessions Judge, Mandi, and briefly thereafter as District and Sessions Judge, Kinnaur at Rampur.

Justice Thakur also served in various other significant roles including Presiding Officer of the Labour Court in Kangra at Dharamshala (2005–2008), District and Sessions Judge of Bilaspur (2008–2009), and President of the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum in Shimla (till 2010). He continued his tenure in district judiciary as District and Sessions Judge in Sirmaur at Nahan (2010–2012) and later in Kangra at Dharamshala (2012–2013).

From May 1, 2013, to May 4, 2014, he served as Registrar of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh, a role that provided crucial administrative insight into the functioning of the judiciary.

Justice Thakur was elevated as an Additional Judge of the Himachal Pradesh High Court on May 5, 2014, and subsequently took oath as a permanent Judge on November 30, 2014.

His career reflects a deep commitment to the rule of law and delivery of justice, marked by rich experience across judicial and administrative roles within the state.

Judgements delivered by Justice Thakur can be read here.