A.S. Anand appointed new CJI
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Sept 13 — Mr Justice Adarsh Sein Anand was today appointed the new Chief Justice of India (CJI).

The senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, he will succeed Chief Justice M.M. Punchhi, who is due to retire on October 9.

Mr Justice Anand will assume office on October 10.

His appointment as the next CJI was made by the President, Mr K.R. Narayanan, on the recommendation of the present Chief Justice and the advice of the Prime Minister, a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique said.

The 62-year-old Mr Justice Anand joined the Inns of Court as a Barrister-at-Law from the Society of Inner Temple, London, in 1964.

He was appointed an Additional Judge of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court in 1975 and confirmed as a permanent judge of the same court the following year.

He was appointed Acting Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court in 1984 and was made permanent in the same high court next year. He was elevated to the Supreme Court in 1991.

He also headed various commissions of inquiry and investigative commissions during his tenure in the Jammu and Kashmir High Court.

Author of the book, "The Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir — its development and comments", Mr Justice Anand was the first Indian to be awarded the Fellowship of University College, London, in 1997. He was also unanimously elected Honorary Bencher of the Society of Inner Temple, London, last year.