NEW DELHI: Chief Justice of India SA Bobde who will be retiring next month has recommended Justice NV Ramana as his successor. Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Friday in a letter to Justice Bobde sought his recommendation for the appointment of the next CJI.
Bobde who served as the 47th Chief Justice of India was sworn in November 2019, succeeding Justice (retired) Ranjan Gogoi.
He has been a part of several prominent cases including the five-judge constitution bench that passed the historic verdict for the construction of Ram Temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya.
Justice NV Ramana happens to be the most senior judge in the Supreme Court after Chief Justice Bobde. Born on August 27, 1957, Justice Ramana will have a tenure as the country's top judge for a year and four months, till August 26, 2022.
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".
As per rules, the Law Minister at an appropriate time seeks the recommendation of the outgoing Chief Justice of India for the appointment of the next CJI.
Following the recommendation made by the CJI, 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.
Justice Ramana has been part of several key cases, including a bench that ruled that suspension of Internet in Jammu and Kashmir should be reviewed immediately. He was also part of the panel of judges which held that the Chief Justice's office comes under the purview of the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
He previously served as a judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court in June 2000. Later he was appointed as the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court in 2013, Soon after he was elevated to the Supreme Court in February 2014.