Justice R.C.Lahoti
(Nov 1, 1940 – March 23, 2022)
Former Chief Justice of India

Justice R C Lahoti started his career by joining Bar Council in District Guna in 1960 and was enrolled as an advocate in 1962. In April of 1977, he was recruited directly from Bar to the State Higher Judicial Service and was appointed as a District & Sessions Judge. Soon he resigned in May 1978 and reverted to the Bar for practicing in Madhya Pradesh High Court. He was appointed as Judge in Madhya Pradesh High Court on May 3rd, 1988. Later he was transferred to Delhi High Court on Feb 2nd, 1994. He assumed the office as Judge of Hon’ble Supreme Court of India on Dec 9th, 1998. Later he became Chief Justice of India on June1st, 2004, and served the post till Oct 31st, 2005.

Honours Conferred

• On 12-10-2006, Rani Durgawati Vishvavidhyalaya Jabalpur conferred the degree of Doctorof 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 him 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, Shri Ramayanam Trust, Shreedham Ayodhya decorated him with ‘Shri Ramkinkar Samman’.
• On Feb 21, 2009, Shree Rajeev Lochanam Trust, Jabalpur decorated him with 'Swami Shree Akhandanand Saraswati Alankaran, 2009, for being a visionary in the field of Samskaar- Srijan, Sanskriti-Poshan, Sewa-Samarpan.
• On March 1, 2009, Shree Sadguru Swami Akhandanand Memorial Charitable Trust, Varumaal (Gujrat) decorated him with the national honour – 'Shree Bhavbhaveshwar Rashtra- nidhi Ratna' for exceptional contribution made in the field of judicial reforms and upholding constitutional rights of citizens of India

Conferences attended

• Fourth Indo-US Legal Forum Meet held at Washington and San Francisco in October 2002.
• 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)
• Yale Law School Seminars on Global Constitutionalism (2000, 2003 and 2005).
• The Eighth SAARCLAW Conference held in Paro, Bhutan (June 2005).
• 14th Commonwealth Law Conference in London (September, 2005).
• Worldwide Common Law Judiciary Conference of Chief Justices, at Washington USA (December 2005)