Mr. Justice R.C.Lahoti

Former Chief Justice of India

Born on 1.11.1940, B.Com, LLB

Joined the Bar in District Guna in 1960 and enrolled as an Advocate in 1962. In April, 1977, recruited directly from the Bar to the State Higher Judicial Service and was appointed as a District & Sessions Judge. Resigned in May 1978 and reverted to the Bar for practice mainly I the High Court. Appointed Judge of Madhya Pradesh High Court on 3.5.1988. Transferred to Delhi High Court on 7.2.1994. Appointed Judge of Supreme Court of India on 9.12.1998. Appointed as Chief Justice of Supreme Court of India on 01.06.2004. Retired on 31.10.2005.

Justice Lahoti has participated in several international conferences and seminars related to law and justice. A few of them are Law-Asia Conference held in Tokyo, Japan (August-September 2003), SAARCLAW Conference held in Karachi, Pakistan (February 2004), Biennial Conference of International Law Association held in Berlin, Germany (August, 2004) and Yale Law School Seminars on Global Constitutionalism (2000, 2003 and 2005). He was also a member of Fourth Indo-US Legal Forum Meet held in Washington and San Francisco in October 2002. He had participated in the Worldwide Common Law Judiciary Conference of Chief Justices, 2005 in Washington, USA; the Eighth SAARCLAW Conference held in Paro, Bhutan (June, 2005); 14th Commonwealth Law Conference in London in the month of September, 2005.

Justice Lahoti demitted the office of the Chief Justice of India on 31st October, 2005.

Honours Conferred

On 12-10-2006, Rani Durgawati Vishvavidhyalaya Jabalpur conferred the degree of Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa) in the august presence of H.E. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, President of India.

On 26-11-2006, Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India, presented him with National Law Day Award, 2006 for his unique contribution in the field of administration of justice making it more friendly to the people at large.

On August 22, 2007 Lok Jagran, Tulsi Shodh Sansthan, Allahabad decorated His Lordship with ‘Goswami Tulsidas Samarohan Samman’.

On March 2, 2008 Vikram Vishvawidyalaya Ujjain conferred the degree of Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa) in the august presence of H.E. Dr. Balram Jakhad, Governor of Madhya Pradesh and H.E. Sh. Naval Kishore Sharma, Governor of Gujrat.

On July18, 2008(Guru Purnima Divas)- Decorated with ‘Shri Ramkinkar Samman, by Shri Ramayanam Trust , Shreedham Ayodhya .

On Feb 21, 2009 – Decorated with 'Swami Shree Akhandanand Saraswati Alankaran, 2009' by Shree Rajeev-Lochanam Trust, Jabalpur for achieving ideals worth being emulated in the field of Samskaar-Srijan, Sanskriti-Poshan, Sewa-Samarpan.

On March 1, 2009 – Decorated with the national honour – 'Shree Bhavbhaveshwar Rashtra-nidhi Ratna' by Shree Sadguru Swami Akhandanand Memorial Charitable Trust, Varumaal (Gujrat) for exceptional contribution made in the field of judicial reforms and upholding constitutional rights of citizens of India.

Founder Member of Rotary Club of Guna, in the then Rotary Distt 305. Remained an active Rotarian for 21 years (1973- 1994).

Appointed Chairman, Advisory Board, Sri Aurobindo Foundation for Integral Management (SAFIM) Pondicherry, on 19-10-2011.

His Lordship has immense interest in legal aid services and Alternate Dispute Resolution systems. Keenly interested in educational reforms and propagating Indian cultural values and traditions.

Present Address:

B-56, Sector – 14

Noida (U.P.)

Pin 201 301

Tele-fax : 0120-251 6644