Justice Uday Umesh Lalit Appointed 49th Chief Justice of India

He will succeed incumbent CJI NV Ramana, who demits office on August 26!

On Wednesday, Supreme Court’s senior-most judge Justice UU Lalit was appointed as the 49th Chief Justice of India. He will succeed incumbent CJI NV Ramana, who demits office on August 26.

According to an official notification, “In exercise of the power conferred by the Constitution of India, the President of India is pleased to appoint Shri Justice Uday Umesh Lalit, Judge of the Supreme Court as the Chief Justice of India with effect from 27th August, 2022.”

As per the information, Justice Lalit, a renowned senior advocate, has become the second CJI to be directly elevated to the Supreme Court Bench from the Bar. Prior to this, Justice SM Sikri, who was the 13th CJI of India appointed in January 1971, was the first lawyer to be elevated directly to the SC bench in March 1964.

CJI Ramana conveyed his best wishes to Justice Lalit for a glorious tenure as the Chief Justice of India. Shri Justice Ramana expressed confidence that with his long and rich experience in the Bar as well as on the Bench, Shri Justice Lalit will take the institution of the judiciary to greater heights through his able leadership, a statement from an apex court official said.

Justice Lalit, who was in line to become India’s next CJI, has been part of several landmark judgements, including the one which held the practice of ‘triple talaq’ among Muslims unconstitutional.