"Not Befitting": Ex Chief Justice To NDTV On Accepting Rajya Sabha Seat

Retired Chief Justice of India Uday Umesh Lalit today told NDTV that while he is not averse to the idea of accepting a government appointment, he would not accept a Rajya Sabha nomination or a Governor posting as he believes it's "not a demotion, but not befitting the status of Chief Justice". 

"To my mind, having held the position as Chief Justice of the country, perhaps, I think the position as a nominee Member of Rajya Sabha is not the correct idea or as a Governor of a state is again not a correct idea," he said to a question on judges, like former CJI Ranjan Gogoi, accepting post-retirement government postings.

"That's my personal view. I'm not suggesting that those persons are in the wrong," he added.

Justice Lalit mentioned National Human Rights Commission chief, Lokpal, and Law Commission chief as jobs he wouldn't mind taking up if asked.

"Rajya Sabha is a completely different thing. What I mean to say is that places like chairperson of NHRC...wherever there is a legislation which the Parliament has passed, and the Parliament has prescribed that so-and-so person with requisite experience who was or is judge of the Supreme Court or former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, we go by the wisdom of the Parliament," he clarified.

The former Chief Justice said he would love to do some law teaching at various levels. "Maybe the National Judicial Academy as a resource person. Go to some of the law schools as visiting Professor."