Justice Ranjan Gogoi on September 13, 2018, was appointed as the next Chief Justice of India. He would assume office on October 3, 2018, to be the 46th Chief Justice of India after present incumbent Justice Dipak Misra retires a day before.
“The President of India has appointed Justice Ranjan Gogoi as the next Chief Justice of India. He will assume the office of Chief Justice on October 3, 2018, after the retirement of the current Chief Justice, Justice Dipak Misra,” said a press release issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.
As the 46th Chief Justice of India, Justice Gogoi will have a tenure of about 13 months, till November 17, 2019.
Earlier, the appointment of Justice Gogoi was surrounded by speculations because of his part in the unprecedented press conference on January 12 this year, when Justice Gogoi and three colleagues — Justices J Chelameswar (since retired), Madan B Lokur and Kurian Joseph raised questions on the CJI’s allocation of cases to benches in the Supreme Court.
However, CJI Misra, on September 4, 2018, adhered to the tradition of recommending the most senior judge after him for the high office.
Justice Gogoi is the son of former Assam Chief Minister Kesab Chandra Gogoi. He joined the Bar in 1978 and practised mainly in the Gauhati High Court, where he was appointed Permanent Judge on February 28, 2001. In September 2010, he was transferred to the Punjab & Haryana High Court, where he was elevated as Chief Justice on February 12, 2011. On April 23, 2012, he was elevated to the Supreme Court.
