New Delhi: Justice Rajendra Mal Lodha was sworn in as the 41st Chief Justice of India on Sunday by President Pranab Mukherjee at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. He succeeds Justice P Sathasivam who had been heading the top court since July last.
At 64, Justice Lodha is the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court after Justice Sathasivam. He will have a brief tenure of five months as the Chief Justice as he is scheduled to retire on September 27.
His name, as the next Chief Justice of India (CJI), was recommended by Justice Sathasivam.
As per the Memorandum of Procedure which governs 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 the appropriate time, seek the recommendation of the outgoing Chief Justice of India for the appointment of his successor.
Under this process, after receipt of the recommendation of the CJI, the law minister puts it up to the prime minister who then advises the president in the matter of appointment.
Born in Jodhpur, Justice Lodha enrolled with the Bar Council of Rajasthan in February 1973. He practiced Law in the Rajasthan High Court and dealt with all branches of law - constitutional, civil, company, criminal, taxation and labour.
He was elevated as a Permanent Judge of the Rajasthan High Court in January 1994. He was transferred to the Bombay High Court where he assumed office in February 1994.
Justice Lodha was transferred back to the Rajasthan High Court in February 2007. He had been the Administrative Judge of the Rajasthan High Court and was chairman of the State Judicial Academy.
He was sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Patna High Court on May 13, 2008 and was elevated as a Judge of the Supreme Court on December 17, 2008.
