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In Pics: CJI Ranjan Gogoi's farewell at the Supreme Court

By Vishal S
|
Google Oneindia News

New Delhi, Nov 15: Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi, who will retire on November 17, was on Friday given a grand farewell at the Supreme Court on hi last day in office. Justice Gogoi is the 46th CJI and the first from a north-eastern state

Earlier today, Gogoi went to the Rajghat to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. He had visited Rajghat even last year when he took oath as the CJI.

In his tenure as the CJI, he has given judgment on some of the most iconic cases in Indian history like that of NRC, Ayodhya land dispute, entry of women into Sabarimala temple, to name a few.

Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi will turn 65 on November 18 and the age of retirement of the CJI according to the Constitution is 65 years. Ranjan Gogoi was appointed as the 46th Chief Justice of India on October 3, 2018.

Justice Ranjan Gogoi being presented a memento during his visit to Rajghat

Justice Ranjan Gogoi being presented a memento during his visit to Rajghat

The outgoing Chief Justice India (CJI) expressed his inability to have one-to-one interview with scribes and lauded the press for its "maturity" and "character" in preventing "canards and falsehood" in "trying times" of the judiciary.

He said it was not the requirement of the Supreme Court that judges "reach out to our citizenry through the press". "Such outreach (to the press) ought to be symbolic of an extraordinary situation demanding an exception to the norm," said Justice Gogoi who would demit office on November 17, a Sunday.

Justice Gogoi's farewell in SC

Justice Gogoi's farewell in SC

Justice Gogoi and three other senior most apex court judges -- Justices J Chelameswar, Madan B Lokur and Kurian Joseph had held an unprecedented press conference on January 12, 2018 alleging that the administration and allocation of cases in the apex court, then headed by the then CJI Dipak Misra, was "not in order".

In a three-page common letter to journalists, the CJI declined the request for interviews and said: "I would not be able to meet your request for a one-to-one meet."

The letter said: "I am keen that you would appreciate that the ordinary freedoms are finely balanced in our institutional functioning - while you have the Bar whose members can exercise their freedom of speech to the extent of even pushing the boundaries of such freedom, the bench requires its judges to maintain silence, while exercising their freedoms. "This is not to say that Judges do not speak. (Image-ANI/Twitter)

Farewell function

Farewell function

Farewell function They do speak, but only out of functional necessity, and no more. Bitter truth must remain in memory." The CJI lauded the role of media for its reportage during the "trying times" of the apex judicial institution.

[CJI Gogoi sits on bench for last time in court number 1 before he retires on Nov 17][CJI Gogoi sits on bench for last time in court number 1 before he retires on Nov 17]

"Good press is also a parameter amongst others that is known to be indicative of our institutional health. In such view, I do wish to put on record that by and large, the press corps has been kind to my office as well as to our institution during my tenure at the helm of the institution.

Justice Gogoi with Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde, who will be the next CJI

Justice Gogoi with Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde, who will be the next CJI

"Even during trying times. When our institution was keeping an ambush or two at bay, most members of the press displayed maturity and character ad exercised exceptional discretion to prevent canards and falsehood from clogging the news space," the letter said.

[Always considered challenges of job stimulating, intoxicating: CJI Gogoi tells judges across country][Always considered challenges of job stimulating, intoxicating: CJI Gogoi tells judges across country]

Justice Gogoi said that as a public functionary, who was entrusted with onerous Constitutional duties to perform, the idea of "courting the press" never came as a choice for him in the interest of the institution.

"I chose to belong to an institution whose strength lay in public confidence and trust earned not through good press, but through our work as Judges on the bench. In fact, our work-places are, by our functional necessity, required to be public places as justice is ordained to be delivered in presence of ordinary citizens to ensure that it is never far removed from them. In that view, our institutional connect and interface with the citizenry is proximate," the letter said.

Though the CJI is officially retiring on November 17, a Sunday, Friday was his last working day. (Image-ANI/Twitter)

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