New Delhi, Following the principle of seniority, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra has recommended the name of Justice Ranjan Gogoi as his successor, said informed sources on Saturday.
Justice Gogoi is the senior-most judge of the top court after Chief Justice Misra.
As per convention, the outgoing Chief Justice sends the recommendation for his successor 30 days before he is to demit office, so that the Chief Justice-designate is named well in time.
If the recommendation is cleared by the Central government, Justice Gogoi will be administered the oath of office by President Ram Nath Kovind on October 3.
CJI Misra is retiring on October 2, but the day being a national holiday on account of birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, October 1 will be his last working day.
The Union Law Ministry had in August last week written to the Chief Justice requesting him to recommend the name of his successor.
Conventionally, the Law Ministry asks the outgoing Chief Justice to recommend the name of the judge who would replace him.
Justice Gogoi is one of the four Supreme Court judges who had held the unprecedented press conference in January this year, raising concerns about the administration in the apex court, saying it was “not in order”. The other three judges were — Justice J. Chelameswar (now retired), Justice M.B. Lokur and Justice Kurian Joseph.
Justice Gogoi is from Assam, and he headed the special bench that is monitoring the updation of National Register of Citizens to identify citizens in the northeastern state.
Born in 1954, Justice Gogoi joined the Bar in 1978. He was subsequently appointed as Permanent Judge of Gauhati High Court on February 28, 2001.
Later transferred to the Punjab & Haryana High Court in September 2010, he went on to become the Chief Justice of same high court in February 2011. He was elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court in April 2012.
