Speech to honour Judge Narain
Ladies and Gentleman,
I am going to speak about Justice Aruna Narain, a lady whose roots are in my village of Vale. Her grandfather’s contemporaries were those of Rashid Daureawoo, Judge Hamuth and of Anwar Husnoo. Anwar’s Nana, known as Sheik was a big small planter making the rounds of his domain on a BSA, old man Daureeawoo, a sixieme passé, was a Moniteur finally recycled to become a big small planter like Hamuth whereas Master Narain pursued a career as a Teacher. This first generation of Vale people were quite advanced for their time and their vision helped produce a large number of professionals today and I have made it a point to gather some of their grandchildren….. Fazila Hamuth, Rashid Daureeawoo, Anwar Husnoo and of course Aruna.
Aruna holds an LL.M from London School of Economics and has a rich working experience at the Attorney-General’s Office serving successively as State Counsel, Senior State Counsel, Principal State Counsel, Assistant Parliamentary Counsel and Assistant Solicitor-General. She was appointed Parliamentary Counsel in 2011.
She has lectured at the Council of Legal Education where she was a board member and she attended several conferences as part of a team at the Commonwealth secretariat, the Human Rights Commission, the Law of the Sea Conference and has also served at the Electoral Commission.
Madeleine Albright’s has said ‘there is a special place in Hell for women who don’t help other women. Pioneering women must champion the cause of women generally; otherwise the world will slip back into its complacent old masculo-centric ways”. Our Judicial and Legal commission has proved that women in Mauritius do not need the backing of their likes as we don’t use the tap on the shoulder method in appointing our judges.
Professor Erika Rackley remarked that “ A judge has to be seen as “supra human” and can’t be imagined as having a bath or doing the washing up and went on to compare the woman judge with Andersen’s little mermaid. Aruna, I hope you are do not fit that description.
The foundation of any civilization is built on law and you have chosen to be its ardent and loyal servant. And I cannot improve on the decision of the Judiciary to appoint you at the Apex court.
As a young judge, you are expected to abide by the Magna Carta for Judges “To no one will we sell, to no one deny or delay right or justice”. You may, why not, choose to mould a new judicial culture which is a pressing need in Mauritius where the administrators of justice have taken a beating lately to the point of relegating the concept of honour to anachronism and reducing it as a stylish and polite language.
We are sure that you will not swerve from applying the law impartially and keeping alive its impartiality in decision making. Please, do administer justice with a firm hand, dignity and fairness.
There is no doubt that becoming a Judge is due recognition of years of hard work, dedication and ability to serve a cause and a compensation for the sacrifices made by burning the midnight oil. This evening, ALIF joins your dear ones in celebrating your success. I am sure that Master Narain, your grandpa, would relish this occasion if he were still alive. And allow me to imitate Sarah Palin to add “I have every confidence that Judge Narain has the experience, intellect, wisdom and character to be an outstanding Supreme Court justice.”