Justice Sujoy Paul officially assumed his role as the 44th Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court on Friday. He took the oath in a formal ceremony held in Kolkata.
Honoring Kolkata's Historical Legacy
In his inaugural address, Chief Justice Paul paid a heartfelt tribute to Kolkata's immense contributions to India's spiritual and political awakening. He described the city's role in the freedom movement as truly immeasurable.
"The contribution of this city to India's spiritual awakening and freedom movement is immeasurable," Justice Paul stated emphatically.
A Distinguished Judicial Career
Justice Paul's journey to this prestigious position began with his transfer from the Telangana High Court. He first took oath as a judge of the Calcutta High Court on July 18, 2025. Following the retirement of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam, he assumed the role of Acting Chief Justice on October 8, 2025.
Political Congratulations and Support
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee extended her warm congratulations on the appointment. She posted a message on her social media platform, welcoming Justice Paul to his new position.
"Sincere congratulations to Justice Shri Sujoy Paul on his being sworn in as the Hon'ble Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court. I welcome Justice Paul to this elevated seat of justice," the Chief Minister wrote.
Celebrating Legal Luminaries
Chief Justice Paul highlighted the rich legal heritage of Kolkata by naming several distinguished jurists. He mentioned Gurudas Banerjee, Rash Behari Bose, 'Deshbandhu' Chittaranjan Das, Bijan Kumar Mukherjea, and Durga Das Basu.
He praised these figures for not only excelling in adjudication but also for setting extraordinary moral standards. Justice Paul shared a particularly inspiring anecdote about former Chief Justice of India Bijan Kumar Mukherjea.
Referring to the book 'Legends of Law' by V Sudhish Pai, he recounted how Justice Mukherjea refused a premature appointment as CJI to avoid superseding his seniors. Justice Mukherjea even threatened to resign, upholding the principle of seniority and judicial decorum.
"He who does not desire power is better suited to hold it," Justice Paul quoted, emphasizing the need to uphold such noble traditions.
Addressing Contemporary Judicial Challenges
Members of the Bar presented several requests to the new Chief Justice during the ceremony. Jaideep Kar, Vice-President of the Law Incorporated Society, raised a critical concern about the judge-to-litigation ratio.
He described the judiciary as a repository of public confidence, noting that common people view it as the ultimate guardian of their rights. Kar expressed deep concern about the current crisis caused by a disproportionate ratio.
"Out of the strength of 70 judges, we at present are down to about 44 judges," he revealed, urging Justice Paul to address this pressing issue during his tenure.
Focus on Human Rights Implementation
Additional Solicitor General Asok Kumar Chakrabarti also addressed the gathering. He emphasized the urgent need to focus on human rights implementation, calling it the essential cry of civilization in the 21st century.
A Philosophical Conclusion
Chief Justice Paul concluded his speech with a profound quote from the ancient scripture Naradh-Smriti. The quote beautifully encapsulated his judicial philosophy.
"A court is not a court if there are no elders, elders are not elders unless they promote dharma, dharma is not dharma unless it promotes truth, and truth is not truth if it is mixed with sophistry," he recited, setting a thoughtful tone for his leadership.
