Former judge of the Supreme Court of India, Justice Madan Lokur has taken oath as a judge of the Supreme Court of Fiji.

Today, Justice Madan Lokur took his oath on the Bhagavad Gita.

Speaking to Bar & Bench on the occasion of this oath taking, Justice Lokur said,

“It is a great honour to have been recognised by the highest judiciary of another country. I was very warmly welcomed by the Chief Justice and His Excellency the President, who gave an audience for half an hour. We discussed issues of justice delivery and the need to eliminate delays.  With the support of His Excellency and the Chief Justice, I hope to make a difference.”

News of Justice Lokur’s appointment to the Supreme Court of Fiji’s non-resident panel first broke in May this year. Justice Lokur received the appointment letter on December 31, 2018, the day he retired from the Supreme Court of India.

The Supreme Court of Fiji has three sessions in a year. Justice Lokur will attend the August session from August 15 to August 30, 2019.

Justice Madan Lokur retired as Supreme Court judge on December 31, 2018, after a tenure of more than 6 years. He was appointed as judge of the Supreme Court on June 4, 2012.

Justice Lokur enrolled as an advocate in July 1977 and practised in the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court. He became an Advocate-on-Record in the Supreme Court in 1981 and was designated Senior Advocate in 1997. He was appointed Additional Solicitor General in 1998 and continued in that post till he was appointed an Additional Judge of the Delhi High Court in February 1999.

He was made permanent judge in July 1999. Subsequently, he became the Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court and then Andhra Pradesh High Court before being elevated to the Supreme Court.

Another former Supreme Court judge, Justice AK Sikri, was recently appointed to the Singapore International Commercial Court, a division of the Supreme Court of Singapore, as an ad-hoc judge.