Justice Dipak Misra: 45th Chief Justice of India

 

“Kalijai” one of the renowned Odia poem written by Godabarish Misra, an eminent Odia poet and grandfather of our next Chief Justice Of India, Justice Dipak Misra. The poem ‘Kalijai’ written around 1930s openly criticized our patriarchal society in which the girl ‘Kalijai’ ultimately accepted death beside going back to her in laws’ house where she was treated like a slave. Justice Dipak Misra is also a great supporter of women’s right and he keeps on raising these issues in his lectures and seminars where he is invited to. Godabarish Misra was a renowned Odia poet, he was the one who prevented Odia from being swallowed up by Bengali as a language. Justice Dipak Misra’s uncle Ranganath Misra, was the 21st Chief Justice of India and also famous for National Commission on Religious and Linguistic Minorities famously known by Ranganath Misra Commisssion. Justice Dipak Misra being from a renowned and first judicial family of Odisha has successfully made his name in the Indian Judiciary and a landmark in Odia culture and society. Justice Dipak Misra’s judgements are unique as they have a literary and sometimes poetic quality which he usually revels in quoting from ancient Indian texts as well as western classics, which shows how much is he influenced by his family in Odisha that has a rich literary heritage.

 

Justice Misra would take the Oath on August 27 as the 45th Chief Justice Of India succeeding present CJI Jagdish Singh Khehar and will have a tenure of 14 months till October, 2018. Justice Misra would be the 3rd CJI from Odisha after Ranganath Misra (1990-91) and G.B.Pattanaik (2002).
 

Justice Misra enrolled as a lawyer on 14th Feb, 1977 and started practicing at Odisha High Court and the Service Tribunal. He practised constitutional, civil, criminal, revenue, service and sales tax law in the Orissa High Court and other tribunals till his elevation as an Additional Judge of the High Court in January 1996. From there he was transferred to Madhya Pradesh High Court where he was elevated as Permanent Judge in the year 1997. Finally in 2009, he was appointed Chief Justice of Patna High Court and served for almost 1 year there. After that he was appointed Chief Justice of Delhi High Court. Justice Misra was appointed as Supreme Court Judge on 10th October, 2011. After serving in Supreme Court for almost 7 years, he will now be appointed CJI at the age of 63.
 

Justice Misra has delivered some the landmark judgement which attracted the nation’s attention, which includes the National Anthem case and also the Devkidas Ramchandra Tuljapurkar vs State of Maharashtra case in the use of offensive language to describe “historically respected personalities” was held to be a criminal offense. He was the one who led the bench in Nirbhaya case and confirmed the death sentence of the four convicts. Justice Misra will be one the most eloquent CJI which we would ever have.