Justice Chelameswar declines invite for his farewell

Chelameswar spares the blushes of himself as well as the CJI

Justice J. Chelameswar | PTI Justice J. Chelameswar | PTI

Breaking from tradition, Justice J. Chelameswar, the second senior-most judge in the Supreme Court, has declined to attend the customary farewell function being organised for him ahead of his retirement on June 22.

Chelameswar on Wednesday conveyed to a delegation of the Supreme Court Bar Association that he will be unable to attend the farewell function that the lawyers body planned to hold on May 18 since he is not comfortable attending such events.

It is believed that the Supreme Court judge, who is seen as the prime mover of the decision of the four senior-most judges of the top court to hold a press conference to air their grievances about the style of functioning of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, has declined the farewell invite since it would have put him and the CJI in an awkward situation.

The CJI and the other judges of the Supreme Court are invitees to the customary farewell function that is organised by the lawyers association to bid adieu to retiring judges of the apex court. The CJI, who presides over the function, makes a speech in which he is expected to recount the contributions of the judge who is retiring. The retiring judge also makes a speech. Chelameswar's farewell would have necessitated a speech by Misra, and Chelameswar, too, would have been required to address the function, and this would have put both the judges in a piquant situation.

Meanwhile, the retiring judge, on his last day in office, customarily sits with the CJI in the Chief Justice's Court. It will be interesting to see how this custom is fulfilled by Misra and Chelameswar on May 18, which will be the latter's last working day as Supreme Court judge. Chelameswar retires on June 22. However, since the Supreme Court would have its summer vacation from May 19, for all practical purposes, May 18 will be Chelameswar's last working day in the apex court.