Gopal Ballav Pattanaik facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gopal Ballav Pattanaik
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Pattanaik giving a speech in 2018
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| 32nd Chief Justice of India | |
| In office 8 November 2002 – 18 December 2002 |
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| Appointed by | A. P. J. Abdul Kalam |
| Preceded by | Bhupinder Nath Kirpal |
| Succeeded by | V. N. Khare |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 19 December 1937 Cuttack, Odisha, India |
| Citizenship | Indian |
| Occupation | Jurist |
| Awards | Utkal Ratna 2021 |
Gopal Ballav Pattanaik (born 19 December 1937) is an Indian lawyer and judge. He worked for 19 years as a judge in the Odisha High Court. He also served as the top judge (Chief Justice) of the Patna High Court. Later, he became a judge in the Supreme Court of India. He eventually became the 32nd Chief Justice of India, which is the highest judicial position in the country.
Pattanaik grew up in Cuttack, Odisha. He studied at Ravenshaw College and then got a science degree from Ewing Christian College, Allahabad University. After that, he earned his law degree from Madhusudan Law College in Cuttack, which is part of Utkal University in Odisha.
In 2002, the President of India, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, chose Pattanaik to be the Chief Justice of India.
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Early Life and Education
Gopal Ballav Pattanaik was born on 19 December 1937. His hometown is Cuttack, which is now in Odisha, India.
He went to Ravenshaw College in Cuttack for his studies. He earned a science degree from Ewing Christian College, Allahabad University. Later, he got his law degree from Madhusudan Law College, which is connected to Utkal University in Odisha.
A Career in Law
In 1962, Gopal Ballav Pattanaik started his career as a lawyer. He joined the Orissa High Court. He handled many different types of legal cases there. These included cases about everyday laws, crimes, and government rules. He also argued cases in the Supreme Court of India, which is the highest court. He was the first person in his family to become a lawyer.
In 1971, he started working for the Odisha Government as a Standing Counsel. This meant he represented the government in legal matters. He later became an Additional Government Advocate and then the main Government Advocate for the state. In 1983, he became a permanent judge in the Orissa High Court.
Becoming a Chief Justice
In 1995, Pattanaik was appointed the Chief Justice of the Patna High Court. This meant he was the head judge of that court. After a short time there, he was promoted to be a Judge of the Supreme Court of India. This is a very important role in India's legal system.
On 8 November 2002, he reached the highest judicial position in the country. He became the 32nd Chief Justice of India. Even though his time as Chief Justice was short, he started an important process. This process helps deal with complaints about judges in higher courts.
Important Judgments
During his time as a judge, Pattanaik made many important decisions. Here are some of them:
- He was involved in cases related to the Narmada Dam Project. This was a big project about building dams.
- He ruled against the government allowing religious ceremonies at a disputed site in Ayodhya, known as Babri masjid.
- He handled a case about showing disrespect to the court, involving the writer Arundhati Roy.
- He helped clear the names of several people from minority groups. These cases were connected to the Bombay riots.
- He gave important rulings on the rights of schools run by minority groups.
- In a significant case called Daniel Latifi v. Union of India (2001), he led a group of Supreme Court judges. They decided that a Muslim husband must provide financial support to his divorced wife beyond a short period after divorce. This decision greatly helped improve the rights of Muslim women in India.
Throughout his time in the Supreme Court, Pattanaik wrote 420 judgments. He also participated in decisions made by 3,128 different groups of judges.
International Work and Leadership
Gopal Ballav Pattanaik was part of programs that allowed judges from India to exchange ideas with judges from the UK and the US. He visited both countries. He took part in workshops and discussions with judges from the House of Lords in Britain and the US Supreme Court. He even worked with important US judges like Chief Justice William Rehnquist and Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.
Pattanaik has also held several leadership roles. He was the head of the National Judicial Academy of India. He was also the Executive Chairman of the National Legal Services Authority of India (NALSA). This group helps provide legal aid to people. He also served as the President of the Association of Retired Judges of Supreme Court and High Courts of India.
For many years, he was the head of the committee that chose winners for the "Saraswati Samman." This is a very respected award for Indian literature.
Awards and Honours
Utkal University gave Gopal Ballav Pattanaik an honorary doctorate degree in law (LLD). In 2021, he received the special Utkal Ratna award. This award recognized his lifelong achievements in the field of Law and Justice.
