Lalit will only be in his position for a little more than three months. He is just the second judge to be elevated directly from the bar to the position of CJI, following Justice SM Sikri. The apex court ruled in the Second Judges Case of 1993 that the most senior Supreme Court judge “thought qualified to fill the position” should be appointed as the CJI. A memorandum of procedure (MoP) was subsequently drafted to serve as a guide for the selection and transfer of judges in the constitutional courts.
Ramana named Lalit as the recommendation for the next CJI, and thereby Justice U.U.Lalit will take charge on the 27th of August 2022.
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Justice Lalit, who was born on November 9th, 1957, Lalit entered the bar in June 1983 & worked in the Bombay HC(High Court) until December 1985. His practice was moved to Delhi in January 1986. Lalit was regarded as a senior advocate of the Supreme Court in the year 2004. The Kerala High Court’s 2011 ruling ordering the state government to create a trust to take control of the management & assets of the temple was overturned by a panel led by Justice Lalit, who determined that the former Travancore royal family has the right to manage the revered Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala.
Justice Lalit withdrew himself from the panel of five judges assembled to hear the Ayodhya dispute case. In the 2G fraud case, Lalit also acted as the special public prosecutor.
In the year 2020, a two-judge panel where Justice U.U. Lalit was a member of the panel and confirmed the Travancore Royal family’s authority to run the Sree Padmanabha Swami temple.
The contentious “skin-to-skin” rulings of the Bombay High Court were overturned by a bench led by Justice U U Lalit, who determined that touching a child’s private parts or any act involving physical contact with “sexual intent” constitutes “sexual assault” under section 7 of the POCSO Act.
The “triple talaq” case was one of his historic hearings as an apex court judge. Fugitive tycoon Vijay Mallya was given a four-month prison term in July 2022 as a result of his contempt of court behavior by a bench that included Justice UU Lalit.
Lalit had a solid reputation for his diligence in research, patience, and “serious demeanor” when presenting his arguments (PTI reported in 2014).