Jagdish Singh Khehar
Jagdish Singh Khehar is an Indian jurist, who served as the 44th Chief Justice of India from 4 January 2017 to 27 August 2017. He was the first Sikh Chief Justice of India. He has been a judge in Supreme Court of India from 13 September 2011 to 27 August 2017 upon superannuation. He served for a brief period but gave many landmark judgements such as the Triple Talaq and the Right to Privacy verdicts. He was succeeded by Justice Dipak Misra. As Chief Justice of India, he also administered oath of office to 14th President of India Ram Nath Kovind.
Career
He was appointed to the Chandigarh Bench of Punjab and Haryana High Court, on 8 February 1999. He was appointed as Acting Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court from 2 August 2008 and again from 17 November 2009.He was named as Chief Justice of the High Court of Uttarakhand on 29 November 2009 and later served as Chief Justice of High Court of Karnataka, where he assumed his office on 8 August 2010.
He was appointed as Judge of the Supreme Court of India and assumed office as Judge of Supreme Court on 13 September 2011 and later appointed and served as Chief Justice of India from 4 January 2017 to 27 August 2017.
Notable judgements
Khehar led the five-judge Constitution Bench in Supreme Court Advocates on Record Association v. Union of India . By enabling the collegium system to continue, Khehar quashed the NJAC Act and also declared 99th Amendment to the Constitution unconstitutional. The majority concluded this judgment:Khehar further explained:
Khehar headed a historic five judge Constitution bench in Nabam Rebia & Bamand Felix v. Bamang Felix Deputy Speaker & Others, that reinstated the Congress-led Arunachal Pradesh Government and held all the actions of the Governor violative of the Constitution. Alluding S. R. Bommai v. Union of India Khehar avowed that it had "all the powers to put the clock back".
The Supreme Court bench headed by Khehar imposed an exemplary cost of Rs. 25 lakh on NGO Suraz India Trust for filing 64 frivolous cases in various high courts and also in the apex court and wasting the judicial time..
Khehar in State of Punjab vs. Jagjit Singh gave a significant verdict holding that the principal of 'equal pay for equal work' has to be made applicable to those engaged as daily wagers, casual and contractual employees who perform the same duties as the regulars.
Khehar was also a part of the bench which sent Sahara Chief Subrata Roy to jail while hearing the matter relating to the refund of money invested by people in his two companies.
Heading a three-judge bench of Punjab and Haryana High Court Khehar decided a case involving definition of a Sikh. He held that religion must be perceived as it is, and not as another would like it to be.