As per sources, Justice Bobde, who is set to retire on April 23, received a letter on Friday from Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, seeking the former’s recommendation.
As per sources, with a little more than a month left for Chief Justice of India SA Bobde’s retirement, the government has started the process of appointment of next Chief Justice of India, asking the incumbent to recommend his successor.
Justice Bobde, who is set to retire on April 23, received a letter on Friday from Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, seeking the formers’ recommendation, the sources told news agency Press Trust of India.
As per the Memorandum of Procedure governing the appointment of members of the higher judiciary, “appointment to the office of the Chief Justice of India should be of the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court considered fit to hold the office”.
Law Minister would, at an appropriate time, seek the recommendation of the outgoing Chief Justice of India for the appointment of the next Chief Justice of India, it stipulates.
After receipt of the recommendation of the CJI, under this process, the Law Minister puts it before the Prime Minister who advises the President in the matter of appointment.
“Whenever there is any doubt about the fitness of the senior-most Judge to hold the office of the Chief Justice of India, consultation with other Judges…would be made for appointment of the next Chief Justice of India,” the document states.
After the Chief Justice of India SA Bobde, Justice NV Ramana is the senior-most judge in the top court.
Justice Ramana, born on August 27, 1957, has a tenure till August 26, 2022.
As an independent media platform, we do not take advertisements from governments and corporate houses. It is you, our readers, who have supported us on our journey to do honest and unbiased journalism. Please contribute, so that we can continue to do the same in future.
