New Delhi: The word "representative Bench" got a new meaning when the President cleared on Thursday the appointment of K.G. Balakrishnan (62), seniormost judge of the Supreme Court, as the 37th Chief Justice of India with effect from January 14, 2007. The formal notification on the appointment is likely to be issued on December 26. He will be the first Chief Justice of India belonging to a Scheduled Caste and will have a tenure till May 2010. He will succeed Justice Y.K. Sabharwal, who retires on January 13, 2007.
Legal career
At the beginning of his legal career in 1968 as advocate, Mr. Justice Balakrishnan pleaded both criminal and civil cases in the Ernakulam court.
He was later appointed munsif in the Kerala Judicial Services in 1973.
He later resigned and resumed practice in the Kerala High Court.
High Court judge
In 1985 he was appointed judge of the Kerala High Court, and in 1997 was transferred to the Gujarat High Court.
He became Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court in 1998, and in 1999, he assumed charge as the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court. On June 8, 2000 he was elevated to the Supreme Court.
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