CHENNAI: Selfies, Instagram stories and infectious excitement took over the usually solemn Madras high court campus on Wednesday, as about 4,700 of young law graduates, largely from Gen Z, thronged the premises to celebrate their enrolment as advocates with the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.The celebration reached its peak with bursting crackers and loud bands on the NSC Bose Road and the North Fort Road, bringing the traffic to a standstill for over 45 minutes, as all forms of celebrations are banned inside the court premises.A total of 4,700 fresh law graduates being enrolled as advocates the same day is a first in the history of the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.Earlier, Justice V Mohana, judge, Supreme Court, addressed them and said sky was the limit for young lawyers to achieve in the profession.Recalling her own enrolment as an advocate in the same Bar on the same day 38 years ago, she said: “I would say and firmly believe that seven lamps of advocacy — lamps are honesty, courage, industry, wit, eloquence, judgement, and fellowship — as written by Sir Edward Abbott Parry (a British judge/barrister) is completely applicable to our lawyers and our profession in India.”In his felicitations, Chief Justice of Madras high court Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari said, “From this day you are officers of the court and servants of justice. Wear the black gown with pride and argue with kindness without surrendering to conviction.”Justice A D Jagadish Chandira told the gathering that continuous learning is a must in the legal profession and important of all an advocate must lead an Aram Sarntha Vaazhkai (a life guided by righteousness, moral values, and ethical principles). He added that participation of women in the profession has increased substantially which is a welcoming trend.Justice N Sathish Kumar cautioned the young lawyers that one won’t become superior to others immediately after becoming a lawyer.Chairman of enrolment committee of the Bar council G Mohanakrishnan administered the oath to the newly enrolled advocates while the council’s chairman K Kathiravan delivered the welcome address.
