DEEPAK MISRA RETIRES AS CHIEF JUSTICE OF INDIA

Guwahati, October 2, 2018:

The 45th Chief Justice of India (CJI), Justice Deepak Misra who was appointed as the Chief Justice since August 28, 2017; retired from his service on October 2.

Mishra made successful variation in giving out judgement altering the older versions of the Supreme Court and has stood the test of the rule of law.

Justice Misra led the bench which rejected the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts convict Yakub Memen’s appeal to stop his execution. In a three judge bench led by Justice Misra has upheld the death sentence awarded to the four convicts of the Nirbhaya rape case on 5 May 2017, leaving behind a remarkable statement- “found an object for enjoyment in her... for their gross, sadistic and beastly pleasures... for the devilish manner in which they played with her dignity and identity is humanly inconceivable”.

In the historic unanimous ruling on Section 377 IPC, while presiding over a Constitution Bench, Chief Justice Misra partially struck down Section 377 of IPC citing it to be irrational, indefensible and manifestly arbitrary.

He dismissed the ban on the movie “Padmavaat” by certain States stating that a film is an art form and any art form has the right to freedom of speech and expression.

Misra was part of the bench that ordered playing of the National Anthem in the beginning of a film in theatres as mandatory, which requires the audience to stand up when it is played.

He was part of the bench two biggest verdicts during his tenure, one that ruled out Section 497 of the Indian Panel Code dealing with adultery and the other, entry of women into the Sabarimala Temple of Kerala.