New Delhi: Justice Uday Umesh Lalit was sworn in as the 49th Chief Justice of India today. President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to Justice Lalit at a function at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several Union ministers attended the event. Justice NV Ramana, who had served as the Chief Justice before Justice Lalit, was also present.
New Chief Justice U U Lalit has described disposal of cases pending for years before the Constitution bench as one of his priorities. This is the reason that from August 29, the Constitution Bench is going to sit, which will hear 25 important cases one by one.
Known for his gentle nature, Lalit will be the second Chief Justice who was not a judge of any high court before becoming a judge of the Supreme Court, but has risen directly from the post of lawyer. Before him, in 1971, the 13th Chief Justice of the country, SM Sikri, had achieved this feat.