Former Supreme Court of India Justice Madan B Lokur Reappointed as Supreme Court judge of Fiji

The President of Fiji has reappointed Justice Madan B. Lokur — a former judge of the Supreme Court of India — as a judge of the non-resident panel of the Supreme Court of Fiji. 

Justice Lokur, who served on the Supreme Court of India from 2012 to 2018, was first sworn to Fiji’s apex court in August 2019 for three years. He was the first Indian judge to be appointed to the apex court of another country.

Justice Lokur's Appointment has been done in pursuance of Chapter 5, Part A, Section 106(2) of the Constitution of the Republic of Fiji which states that " the Judges of the Supreme Court, the Justices of Appeal and the Judges of the High Court are appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Judicial Services Commission following consultation by it with the Attorney-General."

In 2011, he was appointed Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, and served in that capacity until his elevation to the Supreme Court on 4 June 2012. 

During his time on the Supreme Court of India, Justice Lokur’s bench was popularly dubbed the ‘social justice bench’. It was the only court other than that of the then Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra that could hear public interest issues. 

Justice Lokur was also among the four senior Supreme Court judges who publicly criticised the then CJI Misra in 2018.

The Supreme Court of Fiji holds three sessions a year.