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Justice UU Lalit: 10 points on next Chief Justice of India

Amrutha PagadAugust 11, 2022 | 09:57 IST

India is set to get a new Chief Justice. President Droupadi Murmu notified the appointment of Justice UU Lalit as the next CJI effective August 27. Lalit will succeed outgoing CJI NV Ramana. 

As Justice UU Lalit prepares to head the top-most post in the highest court in India, here is a look at his career so far:

1. The appointment: Justice UU Lalit is currently a judge at the Supreme Court. He was elevated directly to the Supreme Court as a judge in 2014, and is now being appointed the CJI. There is only one other such appointment in the history of India - Justice SM Sikri, who served as the 13th CJI in 1971.

2. Tenure: Justice UU Lalit will have a very short tenure of three months as the CJI, before he retires on November 8, 2022, when he turns 65. It is possible that Justice DY Chandrachud may succeed Justice Lalit. 

3. Family: Justice UU Lalit is the son of UR Lalit, a senior counsel practicing at the Supreme Court of India. UR Lalit also served as an additional judge of the Delhi High Court. 

4. Varavara Rao case: Recently, a Supreme Court bench headed by Justice UU Lalit granted permanent medical bail to poet Varavara Rao in the Bhima Koregaon UAPA case.

5. Landmark judgments: Justice UU Lalit has been part of several landmark judgments like the abolition of Triple Talaq, quashing the controversial skin-to-skin verdict of the Bombay High Court in a POCSO case, the Travancore royal family's case of Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala etc. 

6. Recused cases: He has also recused himself in several high-profile cases such as the Ayodhya dispute case, Yakub Menon case, Asaram Bapu case, Malegaon blasts case, teachers' recruitment scam case etc over various reasons.

7. High-profile cases: But the most interesting part of his career stems from his time as a lawyer. Justice UU Lalit specialises in criminal law. And during his time as a lawyer, he represented the likes of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, actor Salman Khan, former Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalitha, former Karnataka CM SM Krishna, former Army Chief General VK Singh etc.

8. Brief history: Justice Lalit started his legal career in 1983. He worked in Bombay High Court till 1985 and then moved to Delhi. He was appointed a senior lawyer by the Supreme Court in 2004. Justice Lalit has also served as the special public prosecutor for CBI for all the 2G spectrum matters. He also served as a member of the Supreme Court's Legal Services Committee.

9. Work ethic: Other than his illustrious career so far, Justice UU Lalit is highly reputed for his work ethic. A 2014 PTI report said that he is known for his preparations, patience and sober demeanor while arguing in cases. 

10. Starting early: Recently, an SC bench headed by Justice Lalit started work at 9.30 am, an hour earlier than usual. He asked why the court cannot start work early when children can go to school at 7 am. 

Last updated: August 11, 2022 | 12:01
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