New Delhi: Justice Uday Umesh Lalit was sworn in as the 49th Chief Justice of India on Saturday, one day after Justice NV Ramana announced his retirement. At Rashtrapati Bhavan in the early morning, President Droupadi Murmu swore Justice Lalit in as Chief Justice of India.
Justice Lalit succeeds Justice NV Ramana, who retired on August 26.
As per tradition and seniority rules, Justice Ramana had recommended Justice Lalit as his replacement. Justice Lalit's appointment as the new Chief Justice of India was later confirmed by the President. As the head of India's judiciary, Justice Lalit will hold office for only 74 days, leaving on November 8.
At Justice Ramana's farewell function yesterday, Justice Lalit declared that during his about three-month term, he will concentrate on three main areas, with the listing of cases being one of his top priorities. He has also pledged to uphold a clear-cut system in which any urgent concerns may be openly brought before the relevant benches of the highest court. He assured that the Supreme Court would have at least one Constitution Bench operating all year round.
"I have always believed that the role of the Supreme Court is to lay down law with clarity and consistency, and the best possible way to do it is to have larger benches as early as possible, wherever the matters are referred to such benches, so that the issues get clarified right away, the matter has consistency, and the people are well aware of what exactly are the contours of the peculiar positions in law," Justice Lalit said.
The outgoing CJI Ramana on his last working day apologised for not being able to list all the pending matters and mentioned the court has been firefighting pendency, which rose alarmingly during the pandemic months.
Justice Lalit will be the second Chief Justice of India to be promoted from the bar directly to the Supreme Court bench. The first attorney to be promoted directly to the top court bench was Justice SM Sikri, who took over as the 13th Chief Justice of India in January 1971.
