Justice N.V. Ramana - A Legacy

September 9, 2024 · 6 min read

Vaquill Intern

Nuthalapati Venkata Ramana is an influential figure in Indian Judiciary. He served as the 48th Chief Justice of India. He is known for his commitment to justice and democracy as he played a key role in shaping the legal sphere of the country.

He is the son of Ganpati Rao and Sarojini Devi. Justice N.V. Ramana took the office of Chief Justice on April 24, 2021 till his retirement on August 26, 2022. During his time in the Supreme Court, he was involved in major cases like Bilkis Bano, Pegasus Spyware and Interpretation of the 10th schedule of the Constitution.

Early Life & Education

N.V. Ramana was born on August 27, 1957 in the village of Ponnavaram in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh. He was raised in a humble agricultural family, so he was aware of the struggles and challenges faced by the rural community from an early age. He completed his bachelor’s in science, after which he studied law at Acharya Nagarjuna University, Andhra Pradesh. In college, Justice Ramana fought for civil liberties during the emergency year and also participated in the Jai Andhra Movement for a separate Andhra state.

Profile of Justice Ramana

Date of Birth: 27 August 1957
Place of Birth: Ponnavaram, Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh
Spouse: Shivamala
Children: N.S. Bhuvana and N.V. Tanuja
Education and Qualifications: Graduation in Science and Law
Successor: U.U. Lalit (49th CJI)

Justice Ramana’s Career

Justice N.V. Ramana started practicing Law in 1983 where he focused on constitutional, civil, and criminal cases. His dedication and skill quickly made him a respected lawyer known for his work in constitutional law and human rights.

In 2000, he became a permanent judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, where he took many important cases and was praised for his fair judgments.

This showed his understanding of complex legal issues and showed his commitment to justice. By 2013, Justice Ramana was appointed Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court where he worked to make the judiciary more efficient and accessible by helping it to reduce case backlogs and speed up justice.

In 2014, he was elevated to the Supreme Court of India. As a Supreme Court judge, Justice Ramana was part of many crucial decisions on constitutional rights, civil liberties, and environmental issues. In 2021, he was promoted as the Chief Justice of India, serving till 26 August 2022, thereby retiring.

Justice Ramana’s Important Court Decisions

Chief Justice under Right to Information

The Supreme Court in the constitutional bench of 5, in the case of Supreme Court of India v. Subhash Chandra Agarwal, ruled that the office of the Chief Justice of India falls under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

Justice N.V. Ramana, in his concurring opinion, gave importance to transparency but it should not hinder the effective functioning of the judiciary as right to information can be used as a means to investigate the judges.

Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) and Customs Act

Bench led by Ramana CJ, decided in the case of Sundaresh Bhatt v. Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs that when a company is going through bankruptcy under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code will prevail over the Customs Act.

This means that once the bankruptcy process starts and a moratorium is placed on debt payments, customs officials can only figure out how much money is owed but cannot take any action to collect those payments while the bankruptcy is underway.

Bilkis Bano Case

In the case of Subhashini Ali v. State of Gujarat, the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana and Justices Ajay Rastogi and Vikram Nath, asked the Gujarat Government to explain its decision to release 11 men who were convicted for the gangrape of Bilkis Bano during the 2002 Gujarat riots.

The Court also ordered that these 11 men be included in the case challenging the Gujarat Government's decision.

Sedition Law

A question whether to keep or remove the Sedition law (punishes actions or speech that lead hatred, violence, or rebellion against the government) was in front of the Supreme Court in the case of S.G. Vombatkere v. Union of India.

A bench of Chief Justice N.V. Ramana and Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli advised both State and Central Governments not to file any new cases, continue any investigations, or take any action under Section 124A of the IPC, which deals with sedition till the time the law is being reviewed.

Taxation

Supreme Court, in the case of Jindal Stainless Ltd v. State of Haryana where a 9-judge bench decided with a 7-2 majority that states can impose taxes on goods brought in from other states.

The Court explained that the term "Free" in Article 301 of the Constitution doesn’t mean “free from taxes.” Chief Justice T.S. Thakur and Justices A.K. Sikri, S.A. Bobde, Shiva Kirti Singh, N.V. Ramana, R. Banumathi, and A.M. Khanwilkar explained that states have the right to set up tax laws to ensure that imported goods and locally produced goods are taxed equally.

Challenges and Reforms

When Chief Justice N.V. Ramana took the office, he saw multiple challenges in the judicial functioning. The country was suffering from the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the judiciary was struggling with a backlog of cases and numerous judicial vacancies.

To solve these issues, Chief Justice Ramana introduced several reforms. He launched FASTER (Fast and Secured Transmission of Electronic Records), a software designed to increase the speed and secure the transmission of court decisions and orders.

This initiative aimed to reduce delays in the prisoners’ release by bail due to slow processing of hard copy orders by jail authorities.

Justice Ramana recognized the impact of the pandemic on journalists covering Supreme Court proceedings. Therefore, he introduced an app to provide media professionals with access to Supreme Court video links. This act was highly praised for improving transparency and ensuring fast disposal of court judgments.

In conclusion, the career of Justice Ramana highlights his strong commitment to justice, fairness, and the rule of law. His work has been deeply praised and is influential by making a significant impact on the legal system. Justice Ramana's legacy is shown by his commitment to social justice and democratic values, and he will keep inspiring future generations in their efforts to achieve justice and equality for everyone.

References

Written by Chandra Kant Singh

Aspiring lawyer with a passion for justice and a strong foundation in organization, communication, and problem-solving skills. Currently pursuing a B.A.LL.B. (Hons.) degree at RMLNLU, where I am actively involved in moot court and NegMed competitions. Eager to leverage my skills and academic background to contribute to a dynamic legal environment and make a positive impact on society.

Justice N.V. Ramana - A Legacy

Early Life & Education

Profile of Justice Ramana

Justice Ramana’s Career