Justice Lodha to be next CJI

The senior-most judge in the Supreme Court Justice R M Lodha is to assume charge as the 41 st Chief Justice of India as his name has been recommended by the incumbent CJI P Sathasivam, who is to retire on April 26.

The CJI has reportedly sent a communication to the Law Ministry, recommending Justice Lodha’s name and a notification for his appointment would be issued within a fortnight.

Justice Lodha became judge of the Rajasthan High Court on January 31, 1994. He was transferred to the Bombay High Court on February 16, 1994 before being shifted back to Rajasthan HC in February 2007. He served as Chief Justice of the Patna High Court for eight months before being elevated to the Supreme Court in December 2008.

Justice Lodha has authored several landmark verdicts.

He headed a bench which recently ordered for completing trials in criminal cases against MPs and MLAs within one year of framing of charges. Justice Lodha’s remark about the CBI as the “caged parrot speaking in its master’s voices” had prompted the government to concede more powers to the director of the investigating agency.

He has been part of the bench which banned the sale of acid and directed state governments to pay Rs 3 lakh compensation to the victims.