Andhra Pradesh Governor: Former Supreme Court Justice S Abdul Nazeer has been named as the Governor of Andhra Pradesh. Justice Nazir is known for having presided over significant cases such as the Ram temple case and the triple divorce case in the Supreme Court. He was also one of the five judges who played a key role in resolving the Ayodhya land dispute.
Former Supreme Court Justice S Abdul Nazeer was a member of the bench that heard crucial and sensitive cases such as the Ayodhya land dispute and the challenge to triple talaq. His appointment as governor came exactly five weeks after his retirement on January 4th.
Justice Abdul Nazeer is the third judge from the five-judge bench to be appointed by the government after retirement. His former colleague, former Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi, who headed the bench, was nominated to the Rajya Sabha, and Justice Ashok Bhushan was appointed as the chairman of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal in 2021, just four months after his retirement.
Justice Nazeer was born on January 5, 1958 and started his legal practice on February 18, 1983. He was elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court on 17 February 2017. His direct elevation from the collegium was justified as a move to induct a justice from the minority community and ensure diversity on the bench.
However, Justice Nazeer overruled several senior judges and the decision raised eyebrows in legal circles. A day before he was sworn in, his senior colleague from the Karnataka High Court, Justice HG Ramesh, turned down an offer to become the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court. In a letter to the then Chief Justice of India JS Khehar, Justice Ramesh said, “The Constitution of India does not provide for reservation on the basis of religion or caste in the matter of appointment of judges to the High Court and the Supreme Court.
Justice S Abdul Nazeer was part of the bench that heard important and sensitive cases like the Ayodhya land dispute and the triple talaq challenge. The nomination comes just five weeks after he retires on January 4. Justice Nazeer is the third judge from the five-judge bench to have been given a post-retirement appointment by the government. Former CJI Ranjan Gogoi, who headed the bench, was nominated as a member of the Rajya Sabha, Justice Ashok Bhushan was appointed as the chairman of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal in 2021, four months after his retirement.
During his tenure of five years and 10 months in the Supreme Court, Justice Nazeer was part of several benches that heard and decided important cases. Justice Nazeer was part of the five-judge unanimous decision in the Ayodhya verdict, which decided the dispute in favor of the Hindus. He had earlier dissented against the view of the 4:1 majority, which had refused to refer the issue to a larger bench.
Along with this, he was also involved in the bench which justified demonetisation. The five-judge constitution bench included Justice V Ramasubramaniam, Justice BR Gavai, Justice AS Bopanna, Justice Abdul Nazeer, Justice BV Nagaratna. Apart from Justice Nagaratna, four judges upheld demonetisation.
Justice Nazeer was born on January 5, 1958 and started his legal practice on February 18, 1983. He was elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court on 17 February 2017. His direct elevation from the collegium was justified as a move to induct a justice from the minority community and ensure diversity on the bench.
However, Justice Nazeer overruled several senior judges and the decision raised eyebrows in legal circles. A day before he was sworn in, his senior colleague from the Karnataka High Court, Justice HG Ramesh, turned down an offer to become the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court. In a letter to the then Chief Justice of India JS Khehar, Justice Ramesh said, “The Constitution of India does not provide for reservation on the basis of religion or caste in the matter of appointment of judges to the High Court and the Supreme Court.