Balakrishnan to be new CJI

Justice KG Balakrishnan, the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, will be the new Chief Justice of India, the first-ever Dalit to occupy the post.

Justice KG Balakrishnan, the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, will be the new Chief Justice of India, the first-ever Dalit to occupy the post.

Sources in the Law Ministry said President APJ Abdul approved the appointment today. Balakrishnan replaces Chief Justice YK Sabharwal, who is retiring on January 14, 2007. A notification in this regard would be issued next week, the sources said. Balakrishnan will be the 37th Chief Justice of India. He will have a tenure of three years and four months, till May 12, 2010, the day he retires. Chief Justice Sabharwal had a tenure of 14 months while his predecessor Justice RC Lahoti had a 17-month stint.

Justice Balakrishnan was appointed Supreme Court judge on June 8, 2000.

Born on May 12, 1945, in Thalayolaparambu village of Kottayam district in Kerala, Konakuppakattil Gopinathan Balakrishnan graduated in law from Maharaja Law College, Ernakulam.

He enrolled as an advocate on March 16, 1968 in Kerala Bar Council of Cochin now Kochi and practised both on the civil and criminal sides at Ernakulam.

On January 10, 1973, he was appointed as Munsif in Kerala judicial service and promoted as Assistant Sessions Judge on July 23, 1982. In about a year8217;s time he was appointed as Deputy Registrar judicial in the Kerala High Court.

Following his promotion as Additional Judge of the Kerala High Court on September 26, 1985, and permanent judge on July 11, 1986, Balakrishnan was appointed Chief Justice of the Gujarat

High Court on July 16, 1998. Later, he became Chief Justice of the Madras High Court on September 9, 1999, before being elevated as judge in the apex court.

8216;Witnesses should get proper police protection8217;

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KOCHI: Chief Justice of India-designate KG Balakrishnan on Friday said proper police protection to witnesses would help them prevent from turning hostile. He said speedy disposal of cases should be the top priority. 8220;Even though I am happy, I am highly conscious of the heavy responsibility,8221; Justice Balakrishnan told reporters who gathered at his residence in Kochi on learning about his appointment as the CJI. He said the court should stand by the side of the common man. However, this does not mean that it should be 8216;partial8217;, he said adding that the courts should hear the voice of the poor. Indian judiciary was highly reputed in the world for its independence and impartiality, he said. He hoped that he would get the full cooperation from the legal fraternity. 8212; PTI