All you need to know about Justice P Sathasivam: The new Chief Justice of India

Justice P Sathasivam was sworn in as the 40th Chief Justice of India today. The judge is known for having been a part of the judgments for many high profile cases, and is known for delivering verdicts without resorting to over-the-top rhetoric. Born on 27 April, 1949, and enrolled as an advocate in July 1973, Sathasivam hails from Kadappanallur village in Erode district of Tamil Nadu. He is from a family of agriculturalists, and is not only the first graduate in his family but also the first to graduate in law. Justice Sathasivam was appointed a permanent Judge of the Madras High Court in January 1996. In 2007, he was transferred to the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Justice Sathasivam was elevated to the Supreme Court in August 2007, and will demit office on 26 April, 2014. He is the first judge from Tamil Nadu to become the Chief Justic of India. [caption id=“attachment_969561” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] CJI-designate P Sathasivam. PTI[/caption] As a member of the Supreme Court, he has delivered or been on the Bench for many landmark decisions. Justice Sathasivam had been a part of the Bench where, along with Justice BS Chauhan, the conviction of Sanjay Dutt and several others was upheld in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case. The bench had gone on to accuse Pakistan and the intelligence agency ISI of training the perpetrators of the 1993 blasts, as well as failing to follow the international laws which directed it to control the terrorist attacks originating from their territory. Besides this, another Bench headed by him had set aside the conviction of the Pakistani scientist Mohammed Khalil Chisti. Justice Sathasivam had also delivered the verdict in the triple murder case of the Australian missionary Graham Staines, in which he had upheld the conviction of Dara Singh. He emphasised the importance of the judicious use of natural resources through public sector undertakings in the case of Reliance Natural Resources Ltd. vs. Reliance Industries Limited. He held the over-extension of the CBI’s powers as illegal over its lodging of an FIR against BSP chief Mayawati in a disproportionate assets case . He has taken strong stands against over-enthusiasm on the part of the media, recently cautioning a reporter who reported on a delayed hearing, where he told him to ascertain the details before reporting on judicial matters. He also pointed out the same during the Jessica Lal murder case, condemning articles that had “given rise to unnecessary controversies and apparently, had an effect of interfering with the administration of criminal justice," as quoted in today’s Times of India. Besides this, Justice Sathasivam has warned courts against showing leniency to criminals in involved in attacking women and children. He has also worked towards literacy by inaugurating camps and creating awareness in the capacity of the executive chairman of the National Legal Services Authority. (With inputs from PTI)