Justice Sanjay Karol retired from the Supreme Court on Saturday, marking the end of a judicial career spanning nearly two decades. In his farewell remarks, he offered a reflection on the nature of judging, saying judges are "not gods" and will not get every judgment right, as reported by The Tribune.
Speaking on his last day in office, Justice Karol said judging required "a certain degree of humility" and the ability to see "the real person behind every litigant." He elaborated that the Constitution asks judges to apply the law justly, not merely correctly. "A petition can only tell you the facts of a case, but it cannot tell you what the person has already lost or what he is hoping to seek from the courts," he said, according to The Tribune.
Justice Karol described returning to "the most distinguished constitutional office"—that of the ordinary citizen. He also reflected on the significance of the Supreme Court, saying its true meaning lay in the faith of ordinary citizens, while remembering those who never reach its doors because justice is too distant, too expensive, or too intimidating, as The Tribune reported.
A career marked by compassion
The farewell ceremony on his last working day was attended by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, and Supreme Court Bar Association President Pradeep Rai, according to The Tribune. Justice Karol sat in a ceremonial Bench with CJI Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V Mohana.
Chief Justice Surya Kant described Justice Karol's career as marked by "seriousness towards the law, sensitivity towards people and an unshakeable regard for the office he serves," as reported by The Tribune. The CJI also recalled their long professional association, noting he had known Justice Karol as a member of the Bar, a fellow advocate general, a colleague in Himachal Pradesh, and a fellow judge of the Supreme Court.
The CJI also noted the Bar remembers Justice Karol for his patience, courtesy, willingness to listen, and sense of reassurance, according to The Tribune.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta called Justice Karol a "saintly judge" and said he was an "unapologetic believer" and "a god-loving man" who apologized to litigants against whom he delivered judgments, as reported by The Times of India. Mehta also said Justice Karol appointed nearly 500 young lawyers as amicus curiae to help them grow in the profession, according to the same report.
The Times of India also reported an anecdote shared by CJI Surya Kant: while Justice Karol was a judge of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, he saw a milkman collapse on the roadside on his way to court, stopped his car, attended to him, and ensured he reached the hospital for treatment.
Landmark judgment on housewives' income
A standout of Justice Karol's judicial career, as highlighted by The Times of India, was his judgment dated June 11, 2026, which notionally computed the income of housewives for determining compensation in a case where a woman died in a motor vehicle accident in 2001. The judgment said women's contribution extends beyond biological reproduction and that they are largely responsible for the preparation of human capital.
In that case, the Supreme Court conservatively computed the homemaker's monthly income at Rs 30,000 and awarded compensation of Rs 63 lakh to her relatives, as against Rs 8 lakh awarded by the High Court, according to The Times of India.
Background and career milestones
Justice Karol was born on August 23, 1961, completed his schooling in Shimla, and obtained his law degree from Himachal Pradesh University, as reported by The Tribune. He was elevated to the Supreme Court on February 6, 2023, after spending 40 years in courtrooms—initially as an advocate and, for the last 19 years, as a judge.
He became a judge of the Himachal Pradesh High Court on March 8, 2007, and was appointed Chief Justice of the Tripura High Court on November 14, 2018, according to The Times of India. For the next four years and three months, he served as Chief Justice of High Courts, one of the longest tenures before a High Court judge's elevation to the Supreme Court, the report noted.
As Chief Justice of the Tripura High Court, Justice Karol brought pendency down from over 60,000 cases to under 27,000 within 10 months through disciplined listing, sustained docket attention, and by taking on some of the heaviest boards himself, as reported by The Tribune.
While functioning as Chief Justice of the Patna High Court, he arranged food for many during the Covid pandemic, according to The Times of India.
Hailing from Garli, Himachal Pradesh—described as India's first heritage village—Justice Karol was fondly referred to as "Chachaji" because of his elderly yet friendly encouragement to young lawyers, The Times of India reported.
In his farewell address, Justice Karol said the courtroom had never been merely a workplace for him but "a vehicle for something greater and more important" than himself. He recalled that on his first visit to courtroom No. 1 of the Supreme Court in 1996, the Bench appeared to be almost six feet above the ground, as reported by The Tribune.