Today, On 25th November, Justice M. Jagannadha Rao, a distinguished former judge of the Supreme Court, has passed away. He was known for his significant contributions to the judiciary and legal reforms. Justice Rao is survived by his son, Justice M.S. Ramachandra Rao, who currently serves as the Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court. His passing marks the end of an era in the Indian judiciary.
Former Supreme Court Justice Mamidana Jagannadha Rao passed away on Monday at the age of 88.
He was the father of Justice MS Ramachandra Rao, who currently serves as the Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court.
Justice Rao’s own father was also a judge, having held a position at the Andhra Pradesh High Court for a short period of four months before his untimely death.
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Born on December 2, 1935, Justice Jagannadha enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council of Hyderabad on July 25, 1960. He became an Additional Judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court on September 29, 1982, and was made a permanent judge two months later.
Additionally, Justice Jagannadha’s paternal uncle, Justice M Krishna Rao, also served as a judge of the Telangana High Court.
Justice M. Jagannadha Rao embarked on his legal career after completing his B.Sc. (Hons.) from Presidency College, Madras, and earning an LL.B. degree from Osmania University. He began practicing law in 1960 and spent 22 years as an advocate at the Andhra Pradesh High Court. In 1982, he was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court and soon after became a Permanent Judge.
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Justice Rao later served as the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court from 1991 to 1994 and the Delhi High Court from 1994 to 1997. He was elevated to the Supreme Court of India in 1997 and served with distinction until his retirement in 2000.
In addition to his judicial responsibilities, Justice Rao made noteworthy contributions to legal reforms in India. He held the position of Chairman of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Law Commissions of India from 2001 to 2006, during which he supervised the submission of many reports tackling a range of legal challenges.