Justice Lokur, Protector Of Human Rights, Retires
Justice Madan B Lokur held court for one last time on Friday, December 14, 2018. The day was also the last working day before his retirement on December 31.
Justice Lokur headed the social justice bench of the Supreme court for protecting the rights of the poor and unprivileged sections of society.
Justice Lokur will be remembered for his contribution to juvenile justice and environment protection. During his term he gave various decisions to protect the interest of the people neglected by the government authorities, including, farmers, under trial prisoners, homeless, widows.
The Chief Justice Of India Ranjan Gogoi at his farewell described him as a Citizen’s judge and pro-victim judge. CJI said Justice Lokur is one of the most outstanding and pragmatic judges of the Supreme Court, whose heart bleeds for poor and the vulnerable.
Know Justice Lokur
Born on December 31, 1953, he learned at Modern School, New Delhi, till 1968 and from that point passed ISCE examination in 1970-71 from St. Joseph’s College, Allahabad. He graduated History (Hons.) from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University, in 1974.
He got LL.B. degree from Faculty of Law, Delhi University, in 1977. He enlisted as a advocate on July 28, 1977 and practiced in the Supreme Court of India and the Delhi High Court. He qualified the examination and selected as an Advocate-on-Record in the Supreme Court in 1981.
He was assigned as Senior Advocate in February 1997. He was designated as Additional Solicitor General of India on July 14, 1998 and proceeded in that capacity till named as an Additional Judge of Delhi High Court on February 19, 1999. Delegated as Permanent Judge of that High Court on July 5, 1999. He worked as the Acting Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court from February 13, 2010 to May 21, 2010.
He worked as Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court from June 24, 2010 to November 14, 2011 and Chief Justice of High Court of Andhra Pradesh from November 15, 2011 to June 3, 2012. He was designated as Judge of the Supreme Court on June 4, 2012.
Lokur, alongside Justice U.U. Lalit, used to head a social equity seat that was comprised by the Supreme Court in 2014. It was later racked.
While Lokur is known to be a calm judge, he doesn’t dither with regards to berating government authorities for their incompetence.