Chief Justice of Bombay High Court Dipankar Datta was sworn in as a Judge of the Supreme Court on Monday.
Justice Datta was administered oath by Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud, making him the 259th Judge of the Apex Court since its establishment on January 26, 1950.
Following his induction, the strength of the top court of the country has risen to 28, with six vacancies. The sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court, including the Chief Justice of India, stands at 34.
The Supreme Court Collegium, headed by then Justice U.U. Lalit, had recommended the elevation of Justice Datta on September 27. The Central government cleared the appointment on Sunday.
A notification issued by Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on Twitter late last evening said, “In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (2) of Article 124 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint Shri Justice Dipankar Datta, Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court, to be a Judge of the Supreme Court of India with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office.”
The Central government also issued a separate notification on Sunday, which said that Justice Sanjay Vijaykumar Gangapurwala, senior-most judge at the Bombay High Court after Justice Datta, has been made the Acting Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court, after relinquishing of charge by the incumbent Chief Justice.
Justice Dipankar Datta is the son of late Justice Salil Kumar Datta of the Calcutta High Court and brother-in-law of Justice Amitava Roy, a former Judge at the Supreme Court.
Born on February 9, 1965, Justice Datta obtained his LL.B. degree from the University of Calcutta in 1989 and 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 has served as a Counsel for the Union of India since 1998.
He was appointed Judge of the Calcutta High Court on June 22, 2006 and was elevated as the Chief Justice of Bombay High Court on April 28, 2020.
Justice Datta practiced primarily at the Supreme Court and High Courts in Constitutional and civil matters before being elevated as a permanent judge of the Calcutta High Court on June 22, 2006.
He was appointed as Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court in April, 2020. Justice Datta will retire from the Apex Court on February 8, 2030, at the age of 65 years.