Former SC judge Shivaraj Patil gave ‘eyes and heart’ to law, says Bilimale

Referring to the popular perception that law has neither eyes nor heart, symbolising its rigidity and harshness, Purushothama Bilimale, Chairperson of the Kannada Development Authority, said that former Supreme Court judge Shivaraj V. Patil brought both sensitivity and insight to the interpretation of law during his tenure on the Bench.

Purushothama Bilimale
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“It is often said that law has no eyes and heart. However, those who read and interpret law must possess both. Mr. Patil was among the few judges who served as the eyes and heart of the law. While judges must decide cases within the framework of law, Mr. Patil, while adhering to this well-established legal principle, often went a step ahead to examine them from a humane perspective, thereby delivering justice in the truest sense,” Mr. Bilimale said.

He was speaking at the inauguration of a seminar on the life and work of Mr. Patil at Visvesvaraya Bhavan in Kalaburagi on Saturday. The seminar was organised jointly by the Justice Shivaraj V. Patil Trust, Sarvagna School, Kalaburagi, and Justice Shivaraj Patil PU College, Raichur.

Drawing a parallel with the ideas of 19th-Century Victorian poet and critic Matthew Arnold, Mr. Bilimale said Mr. Patil’s life and work reflected the essence of Arnold’s concept of culture as the pursuit of human perfection through moral and intellectual development rather than mere material progress.

Quoting Arnold’s formulation that “the pursuit of perfection is the pursuit of sweetness and light”, Mr. Bilimale said the same spirit was visible in Mr. Patil’s life, which was guided by moral integrity and intellectual clarity. Human progress, he added, should aim at the perfection of character and intellect grounded in ethical values.

Speaking on the occasion, Suraj Govindaraj, judge of the Karnataka High Court, recalled the hardships Mr. Patil faced in his early life before rising to become a judge of the Supreme Court of India. He urged students to draw inspiration from Mr. Patil’s journey marked by perseverance and dedication.

“Mr. Patil was born into a poor family in a remote village in Raichur district, one of the most backward regions of the country at the time. The village lacked electricity, proper connectivity and communication and educational facilities during his childhood days. Despite such adverse circumstances, Mr. Patil pursued his education and eventually rose to the highest judicial office in the country,” he said.

When someone who had almost nothing could achieve such heights through determination and hard work, he added, students today, who have access to modern facilities such as the internet, artificial intelligence and improved communication, can achieve even more, he said.

Mr. Patil presided over the inaugural session. Basavalinga Pattaddevaru, head of Bhalki Math, released a commemorative volume on the life and work of Mr. Patil on the occasion. Editor of the volume Kalyanarao Patil, honorary editor Channareddy Patil, co-editor Shilaja Bagewadi and retired district judge and president of the Justice Shivaraj Patil Trust N. Sharanappa were among those present.