Justice Lokur nominated as NALSA Executive Chairman

Senior judge of the Supreme Court, Madan Bhimarao Lokur, is now the Executive Chairman of the National Legal Services Authority of India (NALSA). President Ramnath Kovind nominated Justice Lokur to the post.

He was one of the four senior judges of the Supreme Court, who on January 12 this year, held a first-of-its-kind press conference and said that the situation in the top court was "not in order" and many "less desirable things" have taken place.

Justice Lokur will take the charge as NALSA's Executive Chairman on October 3.

Justice Ranjan Gogoi, who is set to become the head of the apex court, is the outgoing chairman of the NALSA.

The Ministry of Law and Justice in a statement said, "In exercise of the power conferred under Clause (b) of sub-section (2) of Section 3 of the Legal Authorities Act, 1987, the President is pleased to nominate Hon'ble Shri Justice Madan B. Lokur, Judge, Supreme Court of India, as Executive Chairman, National Legal Services Authority, with effect from October 3, 2018."

The NALSA, the chairman of which is the second senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, ensures speedy disposal of cases. Its prime objectives also include reducing the burden of the judiciary and providing free legal services to marginalised and disadvantaged. The legal body also organises Lok Adalats for speedy resolution of cases.

Sixty-four-year-old Justice Lokur is an alumnus of Delhi's Moden School and St. Stephen's College. Enrolled as an Advocate in 1977, he has vast experience in Civil, Criminal, Constitutional, Revenue and Service laws. He got enrolled as an Advocate-on-Record in the Supreme Court in 1981.

Justice Lokur served as the Additional Solicitor General of India from July 1998 to February 1999, when he became an Additional Judge of Delhi High Court on 19th February 1999.

He also functioned as Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court from June 2010 to November 2011 and then as the Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh High Court.

During his stint with the Andhra Pradesh High Court, in May 2012, he reportedly struck down the central government's decision to allocate 4.5% sub-quota, within the 27% Other Backward Classes quota, for minorities.

He was appointed as Judge of the Supreme Court in June 2012.