File photo of Justice HL Dattu
Justice HL Dattu is all set to be the next Chief Justice of India. The government moved with great speed earlier this week to clear his appointment.
Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had late last month written to Chief Justice of India (CJI) RM Lodha seeking his recommendation for the next CJI as Justice Lodha retires on September 27.
The CJI sent a file recommending the name of Justice HL Dattu late last week to the law ministry, which promptly processed the file and put it up before the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The PM immediately signed the file and it was then sent to the President for approval.
With the PM leaving for Japan for a bilateral visit, the government moved swiftly to honour the CJI's recommendation and to avoid any misgivings a delay might have created, prompt action was initiated.
Justice Dattu will have a relatively extended tenure till December 2015 after two CJIs retired in one year - Justice Sathasivam had retired in April, CJI Lodha will retire later this month.
The new CJI will take over charge at a time when the Modi government received the Parliament's nod for the National Judicial Appointments Commission Bill that replaces the collegium system of appointment of judges.
The bill, which has been passed by both houses of Parliament, will become law after it is ratified by 50 per cent of states. The law proposes that Chief Justice of India will head the new appointment commission.
Justice Dattu, since late last year, is heading the bench that is supervising the sensitive 2G spectrum scam probe. Earlier this year, he was nominated for the Lokpal panel by then CJI Sathasivam but it did not get a final nod by the previous government.
Justice Dattu had joined the Supreme Court as a judge in 2008. He began practicing in Bangalore after enrolling as an advocate in 1975. As a lawyer he dealt in all types of legal matters - civil, criminal, tax or even Constitutional cases. He was elevated as a judge of the Karnataka High Court in 1995. He has also served as the Chief Justice of Chhattisgarh High Court for a few months in 2007 and was transferred to Kerala High Court.