Justice Thakur to take over as next CJI

Justice T S Thakur will take over as the next Chief Justice of India (CJI) after incumbent Justice H L Dattu demits office on December 2. Justice Thakur, the senior-most judge of the apex court, would be the 43rd CJI. Justice Dattu recommended Justice Thakur’s name as his successor on Monday.

According to sources, the Law Ministry will forward the file of Justice Thakur’s appointment to the Prime Minister’s Office and his Warrant of Appointment would be issued after the President approves it.

Justice Thakur, who was elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court on November 17, 2009, will have a tenure of a little over one year. He would retire on January 4, 2017.

Justice Thakur, 63, has been associated with a number of significant judgments. He presided over the bench which passed the verdict for reforming the BCCI following the IPL betting and spot-fixing scandal. Justice Lodha Committee, which has issued a slew of recommendations relating to IPL and BCCI, had also been set up by his bench.

At present, a bench led by him is examining various issues, including Ganga cleaning, Saradha chit fund scam case, National Rural Health Mission scam, cases related to One-Rank-One-Pension, Sahara investors’ refund, Army promotion policy, prisoners of war, plantations in Taj Trapezium Zone, among others.

Born on January 4, 1952, Justice Thakur became the additional judge of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court on February 16, 1994.  He was transferred to the Karnataka High Court in March 1994.  He became a permanent judge in September 1995. He was transferred to the Delhi High Court in July 2004.