Today marks a historic day in India’s judicial system as Justice Lalit was sworn in as the 49th Chief Justice of India! This is a momentous achievement, and one that is sure to have wide-reaching implications for the country both now and in the future. Read on to find out more about Justice Lalit’s journey to this important role and what it could mean for Indian citizens.
Rajkotupdates.news: Justice Lalit Took Oath as the 49th Chief Justice of India
Justice Ranjan Gogoi took oath as the 45th Chief Justice of India on Wednesday. He succeeds Justice Dipak Misra, who retired on Tuesday. President Ram Nath Kovind administered the oath of office to Justice Gogoi in a ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Justice Gogoi was born on 18 November 1954 in Assam. He enrolled as an advocate in 1978 and practised in the Guwahati High Court. He was appointed as a permanent judge of the Gauhati High Court on 28 February 2001. He served as the Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court from 10 June 2010 before being elevated to the Supreme Court on 23 April 2012.
In his over six-year tenure as a Supreme Court judge, Justice Gogoi has heard several important cases, including those relating to Aadhaar, death penalty and reservations in promotions for government employees. He is currently hearing a case challenging the validity of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which criminalises homosexual relations.
Overview of Justice Lalit’s Career
Justice Lalit Took Oath as the 37th Chief Justice of India on September 19, 2014. After taking charge as the Chief Justice, he said that he would work to uphold the rule of law and ensure that justice is dispensed fairly and without delay.
Justice Lalit started his career as a lawyer in Rajasthan High Court in 1977. He practised there for about 17 years before being appointed as an Additional Judge of the High Court in 1994. He was made a Permanent Judge in 1996. He served as the Acting Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court from October 10, 1999 to December 31, 1999. He was later transferred to the Allahabad High Court, where he served till July 8, 2002.
He was elevated to the position of Judge of the Supreme Court on July 8, 2002. During his tenure as a judge of the apex court, he heard several important cases including those relating to 2G spectrum allocation scam and coal block allocations.
Highlights of His Reputation
Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad Arvind Bobde administered the oath of office to Justice S.A. Bobde as the 47th Chief Justice of India, in the presence of President Ram Nath Kovind, at a ceremony held in Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday.
Justice Lalit was born on 3 August 1955 in Jind, Haryana. He enrolled as an Advocate on 14 February 1980 and started practising in the Delhi High Court. He was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Delhi High Court on 4 February 2004 and as a Permanent Judge on 9 September 2005.
He was transferred to the Allahabad High Court on 1 February 2013 and took over as its Chief Justice on 27 October 2016. He has also served as Acting Chief Justice of that court from 16 July 2016 to 26 October 2016.
Oath Taking Ceremony Details
The oath taking ceremony of Justice Lalit as the 45th Chief Justice of India was held on 3rd September, 2019 at 10:30 a.m. in the Darbar Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan. The President, Ram Nath Kovind, administered the oath of office to Justice Lalit. On this occasion, the Vice-President, M Venkaiah Naidu, the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi and other dignitaries were present.
Justice Ranjan Gogoi had recommended Justice S A Bobde’s name for appointment as his successor two days before he was scheduled to retire on 17th November 2019. However, before that recommendation could be cleared by the government, Chief Justice Gogoi himself retired on 17th November 2019.
As per convention and rule, when there is more than one vacancy in the higher judiciary, the senior-most judge is appointed as the Chief Justice. Consequently, since there was only one vacancy (of Chief Justice), Justice S A Bobde became the next Chief Justice after Chief Justice Gogoi’s retirement
Public Reactions to the News
The news of Justice Lalit taking oath as the Chief Justice of India was welcomed by the public. Many people took to social media to express their happiness and congratulations. Some even shared memorable moments from when they had met him or seen him in action.
There were also a few who criticised the appointment, citing his past involvement in certain cases as a lawyer. However, many others came to his defence, saying that he was eminently qualified for the job and that his work as a judge so far had been exemplary.
Plans for the Future Under His Leadership
As the Chief Justice of India, Justice Lalit has plans to improve the functioning of the Indian judiciary. He has said that he will work towards increasing the number of judges and improving infrastructure in order to reduce the backlog of cases. In addition, he plans to focus on making the judicial system more efficient and effective. He also intends to sensitize judges to the problems faced by vulnerable sections of society, such as women and children.