Report No. 80

6.20. Tenure of Chief Justice.-

One aspect which needs consideration in the appointment of Chief Justice of the High Court is about the desirability of ensuring that no incumbent of the Office of the Chief Justice normally holds that office for more than six years. There can be no doubt that long tenures of Chief Justice gives an element of continuity to the court. There can also be no doubt that we have had Chief Justices like Chagla and Rajamannar in whose case the lustre they shed to their office was in no way dimmed by the long years they occupied that office, still we feel that in a majority of cases the lone term has the effect of introducing certain weaknesses and undesirable traits which are not good for the health of the Court.