A tribute to Justice Zelre Angami

Justice Zelre Angami, a former judge of the Gauhati High Court left for his heavenly abode on December 20 due to old age ailment. His sudden death has cast a pall of gloom in the entire legal fraternity of Nagaland and a large number of his well wishers visited his house to pay last homage to Justice Angami. The death news of Justice Angami has also cast a pall of gloom among the lawyers of the Gauhati High Court.

Late Justice Angami was born on May 1, 1946 and had his school education at Kohima. He did his BCom and MA in Economics from Gauhati University while he did LLB from Dibrugarh University. He was enrolled as advocate of the Bar Council of Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, etc. on 18-01-1972 and joined in the chamber of JP Bhattacharjee, a senior Advocate and Advocate General of Nagaland.

Late Justice Angami within a short span of time proved his ability as a lawyer and was appointed as Junior Government Advocate and Public Prosecutor for the state of Nagaland from 1977-1981. Later on he was appointed as Standing Counsel and Public Prosecutor from 1981-1983 and Senior Government Advocate and Public Prosecutor from 1983-1988.

He also served as the Joint Legal Remembrancer and Ex-Officio Joint Secretary from 1988-1991, Addl. Legal Remembrancer and Ex-Officio Addl. Secretary from 1991-1995 and Legal Remembrancer and Ex-Officio Secretary from 1995-2003 under the State Government of Nagaland. He was appointed as Additional Judge, Gauhati High Court on 22-03-2006, and later become a permanent Judge of Gauhati High Court on 25-03-2008.

Justice Angami retired as a Judge in the year 2008. Later he was appointed as the Chairman of 1st Nagaland State Finance Commission, President of Nagaland State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission and the Chairman of NSA Advisory Board for the State of Nagaland. Late Justice Angami became a very popular Judge of Gauhati High Court and always encouraged young lawyers for their career and also advised them to be hardworking and studious. While he was practising as an advocate he always extended helping hand to the poor litigants and inspite of the fact that he was a government advocate but he never hesitated for relief to the litigants in the deserving cases.

He was very punctual, hardworking and voracious reader and whenever he used to get time he was always seen in the library. He was a man of golden heart with good sense of humour. Many of his judgments have become a guiding law in the Gauhati High Court. He was 76 years old and survived by his wife and son. His death was widely condoled in most of the outline benches of the Gauhati High Court and at principal seat of Gauhati High Court. His death was a big loss for judiciary which is not easy to fill up. I pay my homage for the peaceful rest of his departed soul.

Subhash Chandra Biswas

Also Read:  A tribute to Dr Kishalay Barua

 Also Watch: