CJI Dipak Misra sends Justice Gogoi’s name to govt as his successor

Tribune News Service

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New Delhi, September 4

Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra on Tuesday sent the name of Justice Ranjan Gogoi, the seniormost judge of the Supreme Court, to the Government as his successor.

Justice Gogoi will be the 46th CJI replacing CJI Misra who is due to retire on October 2. He will have a 13-month tenure and retire on November 17, 2019. Now it is for the government to process the file and complete the formalities for issuance of a warrant of appointment declaring Justice Gogogi as the next CJI.

CJI Misra’s letter recommending Justice Gogoi as his successor is in tune with the convention of recommending the name of the seniormost judge of the top court as the CJI and puts at rest speculations about his supersession in the wake of the January 12 press conference held by Justice Gogoi and three other senior judges criticising the style of functioning of CJI Misra. The current CJI has maintained a studied silence on the issue.

Appointed as a permanent judge of the Gauhati High Court on February 28, 2001, Justice Gogoi was transferred to the Punjab and Haryana High Court on September 9, 2010, and then appointed as its Chief Justice on February 12, 2011. Justice Gogoi was elevated to the top court on April 23, 2012.

There has been a convention of the CJI recommending the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court as his successor. Only twice, it was not followed–first when Justice AN Ray was appointed as the CJI on April 25, 1973, superseding three seniormost judges and second time when Justice MH Beg was appointed the CJI on January 29, 1977, superseding Justice HR Khanna.