Justice UU Lalit named as next CJI
Justice Uday Umesh Lalit was on Wednesday appointed as the 49th Chief Justice of India after President Droupadi Murmu signed his warrant of appointment.
He will assume charge on August 27 after incumbent N V Ramana demits office the day before.“In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (2) of Article 124 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint Shri Justice Uday Umesh Lalit, judge of the Supreme Court, to be the Chief Justice of India with effect from 27 August, 2022,” a law ministry notification said. Justice Lalit will have a brief tenure of less than three months. He will turn 65 on November 8 when he demits office.
On August 3, 2022, the Secretariat of the Chief Justice of India NV Ramana had received a communication from the Union minister Kiren Rijiju requesting him to recommend the name of his successor, news portal LiveLaw
reported. The very next day, CJI Ramana had written back to the Union Government recommending Justice Lalit, the second senior most judge of the Supreme Court as the next CJI, as per convention, Live Law stated.
Justice Lalit is the second CJI to be elevated to the Supreme Court directly from the Bar. The first was Justice S M Sikri, who became the 13th CJI in January 1971. As the 49th CJI, Justice Lalit will have a relatively short term, a little less than three months. He is to retire on 8th November, 2022, stated Live Law.Before his elevation as a judge of the Supreme Court on August 13, 2014, Justice Lalit was a senior advocate at the SC.