CJI NV Ramana recommends Justice UU Lalit as his successor

Chief Justice of India N V Ramana on Thursday recommended to the government the name of Justice Uday Umesh Lalit as his successor.

Official sources in Supreme Court said the CJI "personally handed over a copy of his letter of recommendation dated 03.08.2022" to Justice Lalit "in the morning" on Thursday.

The sources "recalled" that the CJI's Secretariat received a communication dated August 3 from the office of the Union Minister of Law and Justice requesting him to recommend the name of his successor "yesterday (03.08.2022) at 2130 hrs".

As per convention, the incumbent CJI recommends the name of his successor only upon receiving the communication from the Law Ministry urging him/her to do so.

CJI Ramana retires on August 26 following which Justice Lalit will take over as the 49th Chief Justice of India. He has a short tenure and will remain in office till November 8, 2022.

Currently the second most senior judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Lalit enrolled as an Advocate in June 1983. He practised in the Bombay High Court till December 1985 and then shifted practice to Delhi in January 1986.

He was designated as Senior Advocate by the Supreme Court in April 2004 and appeared as Amicus Curiae in many matters.

He was appointed Special Public Prosecutor for the CBI to conduct trial in all 2G matters under the orders of the Supreme Court.

Justice Lalit was also a Member of Supreme Court of India Legal Services Committee for two terms.

He was appointed Judge of the Supreme Court of India on August 13, 2014, being directly elevated from the Bar.