A swearing-in ceremony for newly elected members of the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry was held at the Madras High Court campus in Chennai on Saturday. Supreme Court judge Justice M.M. Sundresh administered the oath and addressed the gathering.
In his remarks, Justice Sundresh said lawyers play a crucial role in social change and stressed the need to understand the opportunities and challenges facing young advocates. He noted that while the number of lawyers has increased, the number of new cases has come down.
He pointed to broader shifts in society over the past 25 years, from a village-based lifestyle to increasing urbanisation, which has altered the nature of disputes. According to him, civil cases that were once common in rural areas have given way to more matters linked to business and commercial transactions, lending and borrowing, along with a rise in cybercrime and marriage-related cases.
Justice Sundresh also highlighted how technologies such as artificial intelligence now make it possible to access case information and judgments within minutes, creating uncertainty about how the legal profession may change. He urged young lawyers to strengthen their advocacy skills and legal knowledge while safeguarding professional ethics.
Emphasising responsibility, he said legal expertise should be used to help others secure justice and not be misused for personal problems or private gain. Protecting the reputation of the profession, he added, is a shared duty.
