Uday Umesh Lalit

Born on November 9, 1957, Uday Umesh Lalit is a renowned Indian lawyer and former Supreme Court justice. He was also India's 49th Chief Justice. Justice Lalit had a distinguished career as a senior advocate at the Supreme Court before entering the judiciary. Surprisingly, he is one of the six senior attorneys who have attained the extraordinary distinction of being directly elevated to the Supreme Court. His talents and legal knowledge have had a lasting impression on the Indian judiciary. As a testament to his continued dedication to legal education and scholarship, Justice Lalit currently holds the prestigious titles of "Distinguished Visiting Professor" at West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences and the Ashank Desai Centre for Policy Studies, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay.

Family

Uday Umesh Lalit was raised in a prestigious legal family in Solapur. His father, U.R. Lalit, was a seasoned senior counselor at the Supreme Court of India and a former additional judge of the Bombay High Court Nagpur bench. The Lalits are Konkani by origin, but after Uday's grandpa Ranganath Lalit started practicing law, the family moved to Solapur. One well-known lawyer, Ranganath Lalit, even chaired civic receptions for Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi when they were in Solapur.

The first school that Uday Umesh Lalit attended was Haribhai Deokaran High School in Solapur. He then continued his legal education at Mumbai's esteemed Government Law College. His successful legal career began with his family's strong legal tradition and his educational background. These factors ultimately led to his significant roles as a senior counsel and, finally, as a distinguished Supreme Court Judge, which included his stint as India's 49th Chief Justice. Uday Umesh Lalit, who is married to Amita Lalit, is a living example of the family's long-lasting tradition of legal knowledge.

Career

In June 1983, Umesh Lalit registered as an advocate with the Maharashtra and Goa Bar Council, initiating his legal profession. He started in practice with activist M.A. Rane, who was well-known for promoting radical humanism ideas. They both emphasized the value of social work in addition to legal knowledge. Lalit joined senior advocate Pravin H. Parekh's chamber in Delhi in 1985 as a result of his commitment to establishing a strong legal foundation.

Lalit worked with Soli Sorabjee, the former Attorney General of India, from 1986 to 1992, honing his legal acumen. Lalit reached a major milestone on May 3, 1992, when she was admitted to the Supreme Court and registered as an Advocate-on-Record. His legal prowess was acknowledged on April 29, 2004, when the Supreme Court named him a senior counsel. Lalit's proficiency was recognized nationally in 2011 when he was named the special public prosecutor for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the 2G spectrum cases by a Supreme Court bench that included Justices G. S. Singhvi and Asok Kumar Ganguly. The bench emphasized Lalit's extremely appropriate qualifications and noted his dedication to making sure the issue is handled fairly. His professional strengths have been described as meticulous case handling, patient explanations of legal nuances, and a composed manner when presenting matters before the bench. Without a doubt, these attributes have aided in Uday Umesh Lalit's illustrious legal career.

As Judge

In July 2014, Uday Umesh Lalit became a Supreme Court judge after the Supreme Court collegium recommended his elevation. Rajendra Mal Lodha, the Chief Justice of India, presided over the collegium at that time. As a tribute to his legal prowess, Lalit became the sixth attorney to be directly promoted to the Supreme Court on August 13, 2014, when he assumed office as a judge. A significant case in which Justice Lalit was involved in a five-judge panel that addressed the constitutionality of triple talaq, the practice of Indian Muslim males divorcing their wives by saying the word "talaq" three times, took place in 2017. Lalit, together with justices J. S. Khehar, Kurian Joseph, R. F. Nariman, and Abdul Nazeer, produced a historic decision that outlawed the practice.

On January 10, 2019, however, Justice Lalit withdrew from the Ayodhya dispute case. Rajeev Dhavan dragged him before the court for his representation of former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh in a related matter. In response, the court took note of Justice Lalit's reluctance to get involved in the case. In addition, he has withdrawn from a number of other well-known cases. Judge Lalit was a member of the bench in May 2021 when activist Gautam Navlakha, an accused party in the 2018 Bhima Koregaon incident case, was granted bail. He was also instrumental in preserving the Travancore royal family's authority to run the Padmanabhaswamy Temple on July 13, 2020, when he and Justice Indu Malhotra served as a two-judge panel. These incidents demonstrate how much he contributed to establishing legal precedents while serving as a Supreme Court justice.

As Chief Justice

President Droupadi Murmu elevated Uday Umesh Lalit to the esteemed post of 49th Chief Justice of India, which he took on August 10, 2022. Rashtrapati Bhavan hosted his inauguration ceremony on August 27, 2022. Notably, Lalit was the second person directly appointed from the Bar to serve as India's Chief Justice. Chief Justice Lalit's tenure was brief, but he brought about important administrative changes that made the court a vibrant place to work, as judges on each bench dealt with an extraordinary 60-70 cases a day.

Chief Justice Lalit took decisive steps to remedy the issue after noticing a reduction in the number of bench decisions pertaining to the Constitution over time. He declared that a constitution bench would hear 25 important constitutional cases on his first day in office. During his tenure, every day, at least one constitutional bench met to discuss a variety of important matters, including the legitimacy of the Citizenship Amendment Act, the legality of demonetization, the creation of regional benches of the Supreme Court, the status of Muslims in Andhra Pradesh as a community that is socially and educationally backward, the right to a dignified death, and the protection of jallikattu, among other important matters.

The number of cases pending decreased significantly under Chief Justice Lalit's direction, from 70,301 on September 1 to 69,461 on October 1. The court started broadcasting constitutional bench sessions live, improving accessibility and openness for the general public. The Supreme Court submitted 8,700 new cases during his tenure, while 10,000 cases had already been resolved. A small decrease in the backlog of cases was the outcome of this coordinated effort, and the creation of six constitution benches made it easier to handle complicated legal issues quickly. Throughout his tenure, Chief Justice U. U. Lalit demonstrated a dedication to effectiveness, openness, and a sincere effort to tackle the urgent issues confronting the Indian court.

Uday Umesh Lalit needed help appointing new justices to the Supreme Court while serving as Chief Justice. The collegium did not approve his recommendation to appoint four new judges because of procedural issues and disagreements resulting from the proposal being circulated instead of addressed in person. One of the committee members, Justice Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud, was hearing cases until 9:10 PM on September 30, which caused delays to the planned meeting. The situation was further complicated by procedural concerns and the customary freezing of the collegium following a letter from the Union Law Minister seeking recommendations for the next Chief Justice.

A 10% reservation for people classified as economically weaker sections (EWS) was introduced by the 103rd constitutional amendment, which Chief Justice Lalit supported in the dissenting decision. The judges who dissented contended that the removal of S.C.s/S.T and OBCs from the quota was discriminatory and in violation of equity principles, opening the door for future violations of the Supreme Court's 50% reserve ceiling.

He oversaw the Supreme Court's pro-civil rights rulings, which included the release of journalist Sidheeq Kappan and activist Teesta Setalvad on bond. Chief Justice Lalit's involvement in the hurried Saturday morning appeal hearing against the Bombay High Court's acquittal of UAPA accused G. N. Saibaba, however, was questioned. Examining the facts surrounding this specific case is necessary because the Chief Justice, who is known as the "master of the roster," has the authority to determine when cases are listed and which bench of judges hears them. The tenure of Chief Justice Lalit was characterized by both achievements and difficulties, illustrating the complexities and duties of India's highest court position.

Conclusion

In summary, Chief Justice Uday Umesh Lalit's term as India's 49th Chief Justice was marked by a combination of successes and difficulties. His dedication to judicial reform was evident in his efforts to clear the backlog of cases and improve the Supreme Court's efficiency by establishing constitution benches and live broadcasting of hearings. Nonetheless, the intricacies present in the collegium system were brought to light by procedural obstacles in the nomination of new judges.

Chief Justice Lalit showed his commitment to maintaining the values of equality and non-discrimination by participating in important issues, such as the dissenting opinion on the 103rd constitutional amendment. Throughout his term, he rendered decisions that upheld civil freedoms, demonstrating his dedication to upholding individual rights. However, issues over the expedited processing of some cases, such as the appeal against G. N. Saibaba's acquittal in the UAPA, brought attention to the Chief Justice's position as the "master of the roster" and cast doubt on the process of making decisions. The tenure of Chief Justice U. U. Lalit was characterized by a proactive judicial administration style, a dedication to constitutional values, and an acknowledgment of the difficulties facing the legal system. As his time came to an end, the Indian judiciary's future was still being shaped by the legacy of his contributions and the consequences of his rulings.