Justice H L Dattu, next CJI terms Indian Judiciary as best

Justice H L Dattu, who will be the next Chief Justice of India, today described the Indian Judiciary as the best in the world and vowed to take it to the "highest stride" by overcoming some of the "recent beatings".
"There have been some sort of beatings(to the institution) in recent times which I will try to take care of," Justice Dattu, who will succeed Justice R M Lodha, as the 42nd CJI, told PTI.
"I will request for blessing of all citizens of this country to give me courage and confidence to take this institution of mine to the highest stride," the 63-year-old judge said.

Justice Dattu, whose father was a teacher in a school, said, "it will be the happiest day of his life to head the institution of judiciary" and "at the end of the day I can only say that I will do my best to improve the institution".
"Mine is the best institution in the world," he added.
However, the judge, who started his legal profession from Karnataka, refused to comment on the issue of latest controversy sorrounding the attempt to scrap the collegium system of appointment of judges for higher judiciary.

"I will not make any comment on the issue at this moment," Justice Dattu said while openly mentioning that he is a follower of Lord Balaji and considers former CJI S Rajendra Babu as his "guru" without whose blessing he would not have reached to the present position.

Justice Dattu spoke to PTI hours after the government initiated the process of appointing him as the next Chief Justice of India after the present incumbent R M Lodha retires on September 27.
He will have a tenure of little over one year before he retires on December 2, 2015.