Justice SA Bobde appointed as 47th Chief Justice of India

Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde has been appointed as the 47th Chief Justice of India. The official warrant for the appointment was signed by President Ram Nath Kovind on October 29, 2019.

Justice Bobde will be sworn in as the CJI on November 18, 2019, a day after the retirement of CJI Ranjan Gogoi on November 17, 2019. Justice Gogoi was sworn in as the 46th CJI on October 3, 2018. Justice Bobde will serve as the CJI for one year and five months till April 23, 2021.

CJI Ranjan Gogoi had recommended the appointment of Justice Bobde, the next senior-most judge in the Supreme Court, as his successor in a letter to the Central Government on October 18, 2019.  Following this, the CJI initiated the appointment process for appointing SA Bobde as the next Chief Justice of India.

CJI Gogoi has headed and decided over the landmark cases during his stint as Chief Justice such as the Ayodhya-Babri Masjid land dispute and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). CJI Gogoi followed the proper tradition to name his successor by writing a letter to the Government. As per rule, the incumbent chief justice needs to send the recommendation of the next senior-most judge as his successor in writing a month before his retirement.

Another proposal by CJI Gogoi

CJI Ranjan Gogoi has put forward another proposal to enhance the retirement age of High Court judges from the current 62 years to 65 years.

About Sharad Arvind Bobde

– SA Bobde is at present the second senior-most judge of the Supreme Court.

– Presently, he is also holding the position of the Chancellor of Maharashtra National Law University, Mumbai and Nagpur’s Maharashtra National Law University.

– He was elevated as a Supreme Court Judge on April 12, 2013.

– He has previously served as the Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court.

– Justice Bobde has rendered judgements in some important cases such as Aadhaar, Pro-life, extreme air pollution in Delhi-NCR, and others.

– Justice Bobde will retire on April 23, 2021.

(6)