Justice Ramana to be next Chief Justice of India; to take over on April 24

Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 24

Ahead of his retirement on April 23, Chief Justice of India SA Bobde has recommended the name of Justice NV Raman as his successor.

CJI Bobde has sent a letter recommending Justice Ramana to be appointed as the 48th CJI to the Ministry of Law and Justice, sources said.

Once cleared for appointment, Justice Ramana is expected to take over as the next CJI on April 24 and will retire on August 26, 2022.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had on Friday written to CJI Bobde seeking his recommendation for appointment of the next CJI.

There has been a convention of CJI recommending the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court as his successor. Only twice, it was not followed – first when Justice AN Ray was appointed as the CJI on April 25, 1973 superseding three senior-most judges and second time when Justice MH Beg was appointed the CJI on January 29, 1977 superseding Justice HR Khanna.

As per the Memorandum of Procedure governing the appointment of members of the higher judiciary, "appointment to the office of the Chief Justice of India should be of the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court considered fit to hold the office".

It stipulates that the Law Minister would, at an appropriate time, seek the recommendation of the outgoing Chief Justice of India for the appointment of the next CJI. After receipt of the recommendation of the CJI, the Law Minister puts it before the Prime Minister who advises the President on such appointments.

"Whenever there is any doubt about the fitness of the senior-most Judge to hold the office of the Chief Justice of India, consultation with other Judges...would be made for appointment of the next Chief Justice of India," the document reads.

Born in an agricultural family on August 27, 1957 in Ponnavaram Village, Krishna District, Justice Ramana holds B.Sc BL degrees.

He got enrolled as an Advocate on February 10, 1983 and practiced in the High Court of Andhra Pradesh, Central and Andhra Pradesh Administrative Tribunals and the Supreme Court of India in Civil, Criminal, Constitutional, Labour, Service and Election matters.

He specialises in Constitutional, Criminal, Service and Inter-State River laws and has also functioned as Panel Counsel for various government Organisations as also as Additional Standing Counsel for Central Government and Standing Counsel for Railways in the Central Administrative Tribunal at Hyderabad. He was also the Additional Advocate General of Andhra Pradesh.

He was appointed as a permanent Judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court on June 27, 2000 and also functioned as Acting Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh High Court from March 10, 2013 to May 20, 2013.

He had participated in several National and International Conferences held in India and abroad and submitted papers on various topics of legal importance.

Appointed as the Chief Justice of Delhi High Court on September 2, 2013, Justice Ramana was elevated as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India on February 17, 2014.