Justice Trivedi was the eleventh woman judge to be elevated to Supreme Court
Chief Justice of India BR Gavai on Friday criticised the stand taken by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) in not offering a farewell to Justice Bela M Trivedi.
Presiding over a ceremonial bench held to honour Justice Trivedi, the eleventh woman judge to be elevated to the Supreme Court in its 75-year-old history, who demitted office on Friday, Chief Justice Gavai said he "deprecated openly" the stand taken by the SCBA.
"The stand taken by the Association, I must deprecate openly because I believe in being plain and straight," he said.
"On such an occasion, such a stand-out not to have been taken by the Association," he said.
Chief Justice Gavai, however, appreciated the presence of the SCBA President Kapil Sibal and Vice President Rachna Srivastava in the ceremonial bench proceedings.
"I am grateful to Mr Kapil Sibal and Ms Rachna Srivastava. Both of them are here... Despite the resolution of their bodies, they are here. But what has been lost by the Association, the presence of the Full House here, vindicates that she is a very, very good judge. There are different types of judges, but that should not be a factor to deny what ought to have been granted," he added.
Chief Justice Gavai said that Justice Trivedi has always been "fair" and is known for her "hard work and integrity".
"Justice Trivedi, you have been a valuable asset to our judiciary. As you embark on a new journey, I wish you all the best," he said.
Justice Trivedi, who would have demitted office on June 9, 2025, marked her last day on Friday owing to a personal commitment.
She was elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court on August 31, 2021, when a record nine new judges, including three women, were administered the oath of office.
Justice Trivedi had the rare distinction of being elevated to the top court after starting as a trial court judge in Gujarat in July 1995. She was part of the top court's several landmark judgments.
Born on June 10, 1960, at Patan in Gujarat, Justice Trivedi practised as a lawyer in the Gujarat High Court for about 10 years.
She was appointed as a judge of the city's civil and sessions court at Ahmedabad in 1995.
She had worked on different posts like registrar vigilance in the high court and law secretary in the Government of Gujarat. She was elevated as a judge of the Gujarat High Court in 2011.
