Bhupinder Nath Kirpal facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bhupinder Nath Kirpal
31st Chief Justice of India
In office 6 May 2002 – 8 November 2002
Appointed by	K. R. Narayanan
Preceded by	Sam Piroj Bharucha
Succeeded by	Gopal Ballav Pattanaik
Judge of Supreme Court of India
In office 11 September 1995 – 5 May 2002
Nominated by	A. M. Ahmadi
Appointed by	Shankar Dayal Sharma
13th Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court
In office 14 December 1993 – 10 September 1995
Nominated by	M. N. Venkatachaliah
Appointed by	Shankar Dayal Sharma
Preceded by	Sundaram Nainar Sundaram
Succeeded by	Gurudas Datta Kamat
Judge of Delhi High Court
In office 20 November 1979 – 13 December 1993
Nominated by	Y. V. Chandrachud
Appointed by	Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy
Personal details
Born	(1937-11-08) 8 November 1937 (age 87)
Children	Saurabh Kirpal Senior Advocate Delhi High Court
Alma mater	St Stephen's College, Delhi Delhi University

Bhupinder Nath Kirpal being sworn in as the Chief Justice of India

Bhupinder Nath Kirpal, often called B. N. Kirpal, was a very important judge in India. He was the 31st Chief Justice of India, which is the highest judicial position in the country. He held this role from May 6, 2002, until he retired on November 7, 2002.

Early Life and School Days

Bhupinder Nath Kirpal was born on November 8, 1937. His father, Amar Nath Kirpal, was a lawyer. B. N. Kirpal went to The Modern School in New Delhi. He also studied at St Stephen's College, Delhi which is part of Delhi University. He was a talented cricketer and played for both his school and college teams.

A Career in Law

B. N. Kirpal started his legal career as an advocate in 1962. An advocate is a lawyer who represents people in court.

Becoming a Judge

In November 1979, he was appointed as a Judge of the Delhi High Court. A High Court is a major court in a state or region. Later, in December 1993, he became the Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court. This meant he was the main judge for that court.

Serving the Supreme Court

In September 1995, he was appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India. The Supreme Court is the highest court in India. Then, in May 2002, he became the Chief Justice of India. This is the most important judicial position in the country.

During his time as a Supreme Court Judge, Kirpal wrote 195 judgments. He also participated in 916 court hearings. As Chief Justice, he administered the oath of office to A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, who became the 11th President of India.

After retiring as Chief Justice of India, he took on another important role. On February 21, 2003, he was appointed the first Chairman of the National Forest Commission. This commission works to protect and manage India's forests.

Personal Life

B. N. Kirpal was born in Lahore. After the partition of India, his family moved to Delhi. He was married to the late Aruna Kirpal. They had three children together. His son, Saurabh Kirpal, is also a Senior Advocate at the Delhi High Court. In November 2021, the Supreme Court of India approved his son to become a Judge of the Delhi High Court.

External Links

• Short biography
• News article from April 13, 2002