K. G. Balakrishnan

Konakuppakatil Gopinathan Balakrishnan (born 12 May 1945) is an Indian judge who served as

After completing his primary education in Thalayolaparambu, he finished school at the Government High School, Vaikom for which he had to walk 5 km every day. Subsequently, he joined the Maharaja's College, Ernakulam, where he studied for his BSc He took his Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree from the Government Law College, Ernakulam, and enrolled as an advocate in the Kerala Bar Council in 1968, beginning practice at the Munsiff's court, Vaikom. He then completed his LL.M. in 1971.

Career

As an advocate he pleaded both criminal and civil cases in the Ernakulam court. He was later appointed as a Munsiff in the Kerala Judicial Services in 1973. He later resigned from the services and resumed practice as an advocate in the Kerala High Court. In 1985, he was appointed as a judge of the Kerala High Court, and was transferred to the Gujarat High Court in 1997. He became the Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court in 1998, and in 1999, he assumed charge as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Judicature at Madras. While being Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court, he was appointed as the Acting Governor of Gujarat from 16th January 1999 to 18 March 1999. He also served as Patron in Chief and Executive Chairman of National Legal Service Authority.

He was also served as the Member of the General Council of the Gujarat National Law University.^[6]

On June 8, 2000, he was appointed a judge of the

Balakrishnan has tried to exempt the Office of the Chief Justice of India from the purview of the Right to Information Act.[9] He ordered the Supreme Court registry to file an appeal before the Supreme Court against the Delhi High Court judgement making the office of the CJI amenable to the RTI act.^[10] He has also spoken about the need for amending the RTI act in the interests of the right to privacy.^[11]

Justice K. G. Balakrishnan has said "due regard" must be given to the "personal autonomy" of rape victims to decide on whether they should marry the perpetrator or choose to give birth to a child conceived through forced crime.^[12] Lawyers and women's rights activists have expressed some reservations.^[13]

Justice KG Balakrishnan has stated that pornography sites and hate speeches should be banned from the internet.^[14] He also passed a judgment stating that journaling on the web any thing hateful even against a political party is liable for censorship.^[15]

On a visit to

In a Kerala High Court judgement he asked the election commission to debar the political parties which impose hartals on the public causing them suffering.^[17]

Making distribution of lunch compulsory in schools.^{[citation needed]}

He was a part of the three-member

• "Really, it is a matter of pride for us, but what I achieved is the result of hard labour and integrity."
• "Both advocates and judges have an equal responsibility towards the society. So both deserve equal respect from the people."
• "The forcible strikes by political parties has a very bad effect on common people. You can see how patients, passengers, and children suffer during strikes."
• "Trial and defence lawyers should not terrorise witnesses. A judge should be alert and caring."[25]
• "Any dilution of the right to a fair trial for all individuals, however heinous their crimes may be, will be a moral loss against those who preach hatred and violence."^[26]
• "In India, different types of crimes are on the increase. The death penalty will have a deterrent effect on the people. If you analyse [the cases], many of those who were given death penalty really deserved it in the cases imposed [on them]."^[27]

References