Govt asks CJI UU Lalit to name successor

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 7

A month before the retirement of Chief Justice of India UU Lalit, the government on Friday initiated the process for appointment of a new CJI as Law Minister Kiren Rijiju formally requested him to recommend the name of his successor. Justice Lalit, the 49th CJI, is due to retire on November 8 and his successor will be administered the oath of office by the President on November 9. He is expected to recommend the name of Justice Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud, the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, for appointment as the 50th CJI.

Convention not followed twice

• There’s a convention of the CJI recommending the senior-most SC judge as successor, but it wasn’t followed twice
• Justice AN Ray was appointed the CJI on April 25, 1973, superseding three senior-most judges; Justice MH Beg was appointed on January 29, 1977, superseding Justice HR Khanna

Justice Chandrachud will have a two-year tenure as the CJI. His father Justice YV Chandrachud was the 16th CJI during 1978-85.

As per convention, after recommending the name of his successor, Chief Justice of India Lalit can’t hold Collegium meetings to clear names for appointment of Supreme Court and High Court judges and the names proposed earlier will have to be discussed afresh after the Collegium is reconstituted with the induction of a new member.

In a departure from convention, CJI Lalit had earlier circulated a letter to fellow Collegium members seeking their written consent for elevation of Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Ravi Shankar Jha, Patna High Court Chief Justice Sanjay Karol, Manipur High Court Chief Justice PV Sanjay Kumar and senior advocate KV Viswanathan to the top court.

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