NEW DELHI: Justice Dipankar Datta on Monday took oath as the Supreme Court judge. The oath was administered by CJI DY Chandrachud.
Justice Datta’s elevation who was serving as the Chief Justice of Bombay HC was notified by the Central Government on Sunday.
“In exercise of the power conferred under the Constitution of India, Justice Dipankar Datta has been appointed as Judge of the Supreme Court of India. I extend my best wishes to him,” Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said in his tweet.
Justice Datta’s elevation as SC judge was recommended by the SC collegium headed by former CJI UU Lalit in its meeting dated September 26. With his appointment SC will have 28 judges out of the total sanctioned strength of 34. He will have a tenure till February 8, 2030.
Justice Datta was appointed as the Bombay HC’s Chief Justice on April 28, 2020 and was elevated to the bench of Calcutta HC as permanent judge on June 22, 2006.
He is the son of a former Calcutta HC Judge, Justice Salil Kumar Datta and brother-in-law of Justice Amitava Roy, former SC judge. Born in February 1965, he obtained his LL.B. degree from the University of Calcutta in 1989 and was enrolled as an Advocate on November 16, 1989. He worked as a Junior Standing Counsel for the State of West Bengal from May 16, 2002 to January 16, 2004 and as a Counsel for the Union of India since 1998.
Justice Datta’s appointment assumes significance against the backdrop of SC rapping the center for their inordinate delay in appointment of judges of the SC & HC.