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U.U. Lalit - The 49th CJI of Supreme Court of India

· 11 min read
Ruthvik Nayaka
Ruthvik Nayaka
Vaquill Intern

CJI U.U. Lalit became the 49th Chief Justice of India for a short time of 74 days. Even though his time in office was brief, he did a tremendous amount of work. In just 4 days, he dealt with many important legal cases and resolved 1,293 small issues, 106 regular cases, and 440 transfer cases.

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Early Life & Education.​

The Chief Justice of India, Uday Umesh Lalit, was born on November 9, 1957, in Solapur, Maharashtra. His father, Justice U.R. Lalit, was a judge in Nagpur. CJI Uday got his law degree from Government Law College in Mumbai and became a lawyer in 1983, working at the Bombay High Court until 1985. He later worked for the Attorney General of India, Soli Sorabjee, from 1986 to 1992.

He became well-known for his work in criminal law and handled famous cases, like Salman Khan’s poaching case and a fake encounter case (murder of Sohrabuddin Sheikh and Tulsiram Prajapati). He was promoted to Senior Advocate at the Supreme Court in 2004. After 10 years as a Senior Advocate, Uday Lalit became a Supreme Court Judge and later the Chief Justice of India.

UU Lalit started his career as a lawyer in 1983. Here are some important events in his professional life:

  • 1983: He became a lawyer and worked at the Bombay High Court.
  • 1986: He worked with the Attorney General of India, Soli Sorabjee.
  • 2004: He became a Senior Advocate in the Supreme Court on April 29, 2004.
  • 2011: Judges GS Singhvi and AK Ganguly appointed him as the_ Special Public Prosecutor _for the CBI in the 2G spectrum case.
  • 2014: The Supreme Court collegium recommended him to be a Supreme Court Judge. In 2014, he removed himself from hearing Yakub Menon's plea to review the Supreme Court's decision to uphold his death sentence in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case.
  • 2015: He stepped aside from a petition asking for a fair trial in the 2008 Malegaon Blasts because he had previously defended one of the accused.
  • 2016: He took himself out of a case looking into the disappearance of an important witness in the trial of Asaram Bapu. He also removed himself from a case involving former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala in the teacher recruitment scam.
  • 2017: He stepped aside from the appeals in the Suryanelli Rape case because he had represented one of the accused before.
  • 2018: He removed himself from a case where an accused in the Malegaon Blast asked for an investigation into alleged torture and coercion by law enforcement.
  • 2019: He gained media attention when he removed himself from the 5-judge panel for the Ayodhya dispute case.
  • 2020: He was part of the 2-judge panel that heard the Travancore Royal case about the management of the Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple by the Travancore Royal family.
  • 2022: He took the oath as the Chief Justice of India.

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Highlighted Cases During the Tenure of The CJI U.U. Lalit:​

  1. Janhit Abhiyan v. Union of India: A Constitution Bench led by CJI UU Lalit, along with Justices Ravindra Bhat, Dinesh Maheshwari, Bela Trivedi, and JB Pardiwala, has supported the 103rd Constitutional Amendment regarding education and public jobs. CJI UU Lalit agreed with Justice Ravindra Bhat’s disagreement, who ruled that the entire amendment is unconstitutional.
  2. Kashi Nath Mahajan v State of Maharashtra: J. Lalit and J. Goel added three rules to prevent the misuse of The Scheduled Castes And The Scheduled Tribes (Prevention Of Atrocities) Act, 1989. In the case, they established the following procedures:
  3. A preliminary inquiry must be done before registering a First Information Report (FIR).
  4. The investigating officer needs additional approval before making an arrest.
  5. There should be a provision for granting anticipatory bail under the Act.
  6. Gyanendra Kumar Singh and Ors vs Bihar Legislative Assembly Patna And Ors: In this case, the issue was about whether the Speaker could deny pensions to disqualified MLAs. The bench, which included Chief Justice U.U. Lalit, Justice Ravindra Bhat, and Justice J.B. Pardiwala, stated that the Speaker of a Legislative Assembly does not have the power to deny a pension and other benefits to a former MLA while deciding on a disqualification case against them.
  7. Smriti Madan Kansagra v. Perry Kansagra: The bench of J. UU Lalit, Indu Malhotra, and Hemant Gupta explained the idea of a mirror order. They stated that a mirror order is meant to ensure that the courts in the country where the child is being moved can handle custody cases properly. Such an order protects the interests of both parents and ensures that the rights to visit and temporarily care for the child are not affected. This judgment was a 2:1 decision, with J. Indu Malhotra writing the majority opinion. In this case, J. UU Lalit decided to transfer the custody of an 11- to 12-month-old child from his mother, with whom he had lived since birth, to his father, an Indian-born businessman living in Kenya.

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  1. All India Transporters Welfare Association & Anr. v Union Of India & Ors: In this case, the bench, including Chief Justice U.U. Lalit, Justice Ravindra Bhat, and Justice J.B. Pardiwala, discussed Section 102 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), which allows police to seize property that may be stolen or in a suspicious condition. They concluded that public interest litigation under Article 32 was not the right way to handle this issue. CJI UU Lalit stated, "If there are specific cases where someone believes there has been a failure to comply, that person can file the appropriate proceedings. The complaint raised in the petition is not something that should be addressed under Article 32."
  2. The Tripal Talaq Case: In the case of Shayara Bano v. Union of India, this important judgment was made by a Constitution Bench of 5 Judges: Chief Justice Khehar, Kurian Joseph, RF Nariman, UU Lalit, and S. Abdul Nazeer. The bench declared Triple Talaq to be a violation of Article 14, making it unconstitutional. Justice Nariman, writing for himself and Lalit, stated that the instant and permanent nature of triple talaq prevents any chance of reconciliation between the husband and wife. This goes against traditional Indian legal practices, which is why it is considered invalid.
  3. M/s Bajaj Allianz General Insurance co. ltd . v. Dnyanraj & Ors: In this case, the Division Bench, which included Chief Justice U.U. Lalit and Justice Ravindra Bhat, supported the Bombay High Court's order. This order directed Bajaj Allianz General Insurance to compensate 357,287 farmers in the Osmanabad district of Maharashtra. The compensation was for losses related to their soybean crop after the Kharif season in 2020 due to heavy rainfall.
  4. Sri Marthanda Varma (d) v. State of Kerala: This case is an example of the rights of the Travancore Royal family to manage the Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple, which is one of the richest temples in the world, located in Kerala. The situation referred to certain decisions and concluded that inherited property follows the founder's line of inheritance. The court cannot create a new rule about inheritance or change the existing rules of succession.

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  1. Pyare Lal Vs. State of Haryana: The 3-Judge bench, made up of Justice UU Lalit, Justice MM Shantanagoudar, and Justice Vineet Saran, looked into whether a policy created under Article 161 for granting remission can override the requirements under Section 433-A of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). A larger bench framed the following question: “Can a policy be made under Article 161 of the Constitution that sets certain rules for granting remission by the government without presenting details or information about any cases to the governor, and can this override the requirements of Section 433-A of the CrPC?
  2. Rishi Malhotra v. Union of India: In this case, the Supreme Court bench, including Chief Justice U.U. Lalit, Justice Ravindra Bhat, and Justice Bela M. Trivedi, stated that bringing an accused person into the courtroom is an essential part of the criminal justice system. They rejected a Public Interest Litigation that asked for a ban on bringing undertrial prisoners to court to ensure the safety of judges, prisoners, and others in the courtroom.

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Final Thoughts:​

After reading the above information, it is clear that CJI UU Lalit has fulfilled his role well. He actively listed important cases that raised legal questions and made sure the Supreme Court operated efficiently. His professionalism is something everyone can learn from.

In India, where there are millions of pending cases, all courts, both lower and higher, need to work at the same pace seen during his two and a half months in office. CJI U.U.

Lalit not only ensured the smooth functioning of the court system but also served on different benches to promote complete justice and transparency. The court is a crucial protector of civil liberties, and the Supreme Court must remain neutral and unaffected by any influence from the executive branch.

To protect the independence of India’s judicial system, it is essential to appoint Supreme Court judges without any pressure or bias. The Supreme Court is the highest appellate body in our legal system. With its establishment, justice is ensured for all citizens of India.

The powers given to the Supreme Court are meant to guarantee fair trials in matters related to the Constitution of India.

On the last working day, the 49th Chief Justice UU Lalit, leading the Ceremonial Bench along with the 50th Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice BM Trivedi, stated: “I have practiced at the Supreme Court for about 37 years, but I have never seen two Constitution Benches sitting simultaneously. But, after I became the Chief Justice, on a particular day, there were three Constitution Benches. It was also the day we started live-streaming. So, I leave with a sense of great achievement and satisfaction.”

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References:​

  1. Justice Uday Umesh Lalith
  2. Hon'ble Mr. Justice Uday Umesh Lalit
  3. Justice UU Lalit takes oath as the 49th Chief Justice of India: His Journey, Judgments and Focus Areas as the New Chief.
  4. Biography of Soli Sorabjee
  5. Verdict of Supreme Court on 2G Spectrum Allocations – Pre Consultation Comments (Preliminary) of CUTS to TRAI
  6. Ayodhya case: Who is Justice UU Lalit, who recused himself from the hearing
  7. The Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple Case: Landmark Ruling by the Indian Supreme Court
  8. Yakub Abdul Razak Memon v. The State of Maharashtra, through CBI, Bombay
  9. SC judge recuses from hearing PIL on Malegaon blast probe
  10. Who is Justice Uday Umesh Lalit, in line to become the next Chief Justice of India?
  11. The Girl With No Name
  12. [Janhit Abhiyan v. Union of India](https://main.sci.gov.in/supremecourt/2019/1827/1827_2019_1_1501_39619_Judgement_07-Nov-2022.pdf)
  13. DR. SUBHASH KASHINATH MAHAJAN v. THE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA AND ANR.

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  1. Anticipatory Bail
  2. The Scheduled Castes and The Scheduled Tribes (Prevention Of Atrocities) Act, 1989
  3. Smriti Madan Kansagra v. Perry kansagra
  4. Shayara Bano v. Union of India
  5. Sri Marthanda Varma (d) v. State of Kerala
  6. Pyare Lal Vs. State of Haryana
  7. Section 433-A of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), 1973
  8. [Gyanendra Kumar Singh and Ors vs Bihar Legislative Assembly Patna And Ors](https://indiankanoon.org/doc/52128413/)
  9. All India Transporters Welfare Association & Anr. v Union Of India & Ors
  10. Section 102 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC),1973
  11. M/s Bajaj Allianz General Insurance co. ltd . v. Dnyanraj & Ors
  12. Rishi Malhotra v. Union of India
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Written by Ruthvik Nayaka

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Ruthvik Nayaka is a final year law student, his interests lie in areas including, but not limited to, Corporate Law and taxation law. He is also the EN-ROADS Climate Ambassador. He facilitates climate-workshops, climate action simulation games and group meetings.

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