In a letter to the Centre, Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra recommended Justice Ranjan Gogoi as his successor following his exit from office on 2nd October 2018. Justice Gogoi, who is the second senior-most judge in the Supreme Court, has been appointed as the 46th CJI by President Ram Nath Kovind, and will take oath 3rd October 2018.
Born on 18th November 1954 in Assam, Justice Ranjan Gogoi will be the first Chief Justice of India from the Northeast.
He joined the Bar Council of India in 1978 and mainly practised in the Gauhati High Court where he was appointed as a permanent judge on 28th February, 2001.
On 9th September, 2010 Gogoi was transferred to Punjab & Haryana High Court. He later took charge as the Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court on 12th February, 2011.
He was later elevated as Judge of the Supreme Court on 23rd April, 2012.
Justice Gogoi was the first Supreme Court judge who fined a petitioner Rs five lakhs for withdrawing his petition after it came for hearing in the court.
He is also known for his famous judgment forbidding the use of politicians' photos in government advertisements. In May 2015, The Supreme Court had held that government advertisements could only include photographs of the Prime Minister, President and Chief Justice of India, thus ensuring politicians in power do not use taxpayers' money to gain political advantages.
On 12 January 2018, Justice Gogoi along with four other judges held a press conference, for the first time in the history of Supreme Court, criticising Chief Justice Misra and accused him of misusing his role.