PANAJI
Justice (Retd) Gustavo Couto passed away on Friday after ailing briefly, his family sources said.
Couto was the first from Goa to be elevated as judge of the Bombay High Court in the 1980s.
Prior to the Liberation of Goa, Couto had served as the erstwhile Portuguese regime’s top law officer -- Procurador da Republica -- said to be equivalent to current time’s Advocate General. He had served in that position until Goa was liberated in 1961.
Before a bench of the Bombay High court came to be established Goa used to be serviced judicially by a ‘Judicial Commission’ and Couto was its last Commissioner.
He passed a number of landmark judgements on Mundkar Act, Rent Act; Civil Code; Civil Procedure Code; Land Revenue Code; Code of Comunidades; as also on CPC; Evidence Act; Constitution; General Clauses Act; Stamp Act; Companies Act; Land Acquisition Act.
He lived at his home in Miramar and is survived by his wife Maria Thelma, daughter Elena and two sons -- Dr Francisco who serves at the GMC and Alexandre who is a practicing lawyer.
