A full court condolence meet will be observed in memory of Leila Seth tomorrow at the Patna High Court, where she practised as a barrister for 10 years in the initial phase of her illustrious career.
The meeting, scheduled to be held at 1:15 PM, will be presided by Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and will take place in his court room, officials said.
"She practised here as a barrister from 1959-69, the second one to enrol at the court. She was also a member of the Patna High Court's Bar Association. And, she possibly was the last surviving barrister and the last surviving former member of the association," said K D Chatterji, advocate and member of the association.
A close friend of the Seth family, Chatterji also said the decision to hold the condolence meet came up spontaneously to the association, and it is to mark her extraordinary contribution to the legal field and recall the persona that endeared her to people of all ages.
The order to observe the 'Full Court Reference' (condolence meet) was issued today by the court.
"According to Patna High Court's tradition, in a full court reference, all the judges and lawyers gather to pay tribute. Representatives of all the lawyer associations then read out obituary messages, and finally the Chief Justice makes his speech.
"A two-minute silence is then observed and after that it is announced that the court will be closed for the remainder of the day. The bereaved family (the Seths) will receive a copy of the proceedings," Chatterji told PTI.
Seth started her career in 1959 in the Patna High Court as a young London-trained barrister, and spent 10 years there, seeking a foothold in a field dominated by men.
But, she rose through the ranks to become the country's first woman chief justice of a high court (Himachal Pradesh in 1991), and broke many a glass ceiling in the process while earning respect and admiration, both in the courtroom and outside.
She was was the first judge of the Delhi High Court before her elevation as the chief justice.
"Justice Seth never rested on her laurels or basked in her glory. Her human qualities and extraordinary persona left a very strong imprint on the lives of people she touched, not to mention the trail she blazed in her career, that still inspires many woman to take up law," Chatterji said.
"She only lived for 10 years in Patna, but her bond with the city was everlasting. And people in the city also adored the Seths," he said.
Seth indeed had a special place for the city in her heart and, she was invited to attend the centenary of the court in 2016, but had regretted missing it due to some unforeseen reasons.
She and her author son Vikram Seth had visited the Patna High Court and their old house, the beautiful 'White Pillar' bungalow, when they had gone to Patna to attend a literature festival.
Seth, who was born in October 1930 in Lucknow, also championed women and gender rights. She died on May 5 at her residence in Noida.
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