BRIEF PROFILE OF HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE R C LAHOTI, FORMER CHIEF JUSTICE OF INDIA
Justice R.C.Lahoti His Lordship was born at Guna (M.P) on 1.11.1940. His father Shri Ratan Lal Lahoti has been an Advocate known for a very high degree of idealism and ethics in legal profession. He has been an eminent social worker of the region and a freedom fighter. He was a staunch Gandhi-ite and an old time Congress man. From his youth till his death he used only ‘khadi’. His lordship had initial education at Guna. His Lordship did B.Com. (Hons.) from R. A. Podar College of Commerce & Economics, Bombay. His Lordship did graduation in law form Holkar College, Indore and was awarded a gold medal for securing first position in the University.

His Lordship commenced legal practice in 1961. In 1977, His Lordship was recruited to Higher Judicial Service to resume practice before High Court of Madhya Pradesh in the year 1978. Soon His Lordship commanded a place of pride in profession. His Lordship appeared in constitutional, taxation, civil, criminal and labour cases of importance.

On 3.5.1988, His Lordship was elevated to Judgeship in the High Court of Madhya Pradesh. In February 1994, His Lordship was transferred to Delhi High Court. In 1995, the Supreme Court of India appointed His Lordship as One-Man Enquiry Commission to investigate into claims of frustrated buyers of flats from M/s. Skipper Construction Company Ltd. More than 800 claims were investigated into and decided within a period of 12 months.

On I 5th November, 1996, His Lordship was appointed One-Man Court of Enquiry to investigate into causes of mid-air collision between Saudi Arabia Boeing-747 and Kazakhastan IL-76 at Charkhi — Dadri (near Delhi) and make recommendations for avoiding such accidents in future. The Enquiry Report was submitted on 15th July, 1997 by accomplishing the task of magnitude and international significance within a record time of 8 months. Both the commissions were conducted without suspending the judicial work in the High Court.

His Lordship has been actively associated with the judicial officers training programme during His Lordship’s tenure as a Judge of Delhi High Court.

Soon after His Lordship’s transfer to the High Court of Delhi, His Lordship became extremely popular amongst his brother Judges, members of the Bar and litigant public on account of his unarming innocence, simplicity, dedication, hard work and endeared himself to all.

His Lordship was appointed as a Judge of Supreme Court of India on 9.12.1998 and Chief Justice of India on 1.06.2004. His Lordship has immense interest in legal aid services and ADR systems.

Justice Lahoti has participated in several international conferences and seminars related to law and justice. A few of them are Law-Asia Conference held in Tokyo, Japan, (AugustSeptember 2003), SAARCLAW Conference held in Karachi, Pakistan (February 2004). Biennial Conference of international Law Association held in Berlin, Germany (August 2004) and Yale Law School Seminars on Global Constitutionalism (2000 and 2003). He was also a member of Fourth Indo-US Legal Forum Meet held in Washington and San Francisco in October 2002. He had participated in the Worldwide Common Law Judiciary Conference of Chief Justices, 2005 in Washington, USA; the Eighth SAARCLAW Conference held in Pam, Bhutan Oune, 2005): 14th Commonwealth Law Conference in London in the month of September, 2005 and Global Constitutionalism Seminar at Yale Law School in Connecticut, USA also in the month of September, 2005.

Justice Lahoti demitted the office of the Chief Justice of India on 31st October, 2005.