New Delhi: The government has written to Chief Justice of India Uday Umesh Lalit to name his successor, PTI reported on Friday. The letter was sent this morning, the new agency reported. He succeeded Justice NV Ramana, who retired on August 26, 2022.
Justice U U Lait, who was appointed as the CJI on August 27, 2022, will be retiring on November 8, 2022. As part of the procedure, the law minister writes to the CJI to name his or her successor. Justice D Y Chandrachud is the senior-most judge after the CJI. The CJI names the senior-most judge as his or her successor.
Justice Ramana had recommended Justice Lalit as his successor in keeping with convention and norms of seniority. The President subsequently confirmed Justice Lalit's appointment as the new CJI. Going by the established practice and convention, Justice Chandrachud would be the 50th CJI.
Justice Lalit has been only the second CJI who was directly elevated to the SC bench from the Bar. Justice SM Sikri, who became the 13th CJI in January 1971, was the first lawyer to be elevated directly to the top court bench in March 1964.
Justice Lalit was a renowned senior advocate before he became the judge of the apex court. He was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court on August 13, 2014.
UU Lalit enrolled as an advocate in June 1983 after specialising in criminal law and practising at the Bombay High Court from 1983 to 1985. He shifted his practice to Delhi in January 1986, and in April 2004, he was designated as a senior advocate by the top court. Later, he was appointed as a special public prosecutor for the CBI to conduct the trial in the 2G spectrum allocation case.
(With Inputs from agencies)