G. S. Singhvi

G.S. Singhvi (born 12 December 1948) was a judge of the Supreme Court of India. He retired on 11 December 2013.^[2]

Early life and education

Justice Singhvi was born at Jodhpur, Rajasthan on 12 December 1948. He graduated in 1968 from Jodhpur University and earned Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree in 1971 from Rajasthan University with Gold Medal.^[2]

Career

As a lawyer

Justice Singhvi practised in Rajasthan High Court, mainly in Constitutional Law.^[2]

As a judge

He became a judge of the Rajasthan High Court on 20 July 1990. was transferred to Punjab and Haryana High Court on 28 April 1994 and then to the Gujarat High Court on 28 February 2005.^[2]

He was elevated to the post of Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh High Court on 27 November 2005. He became a judge of Supreme Court of India on 12 November 2007.^[2]

Notable judgements

2G spectrum case

On 2 February 2012, a bench composed of Justice Singhvi and Justice AK Ganguly quashed 122 2G licenses issued in the year 2008 by A. Raja, then Union Telecom Minister terming them as "unconstitutional and arbitrary".^[3][4]

Vehicle beacon lights case

Justice Singhvi is heading a bench of Supreme Court dealing with abuse of vehicle beacon lights. During the hearings, the bench said, "A judge becomes hourable by his judgments and not by using red beacon at the top of his official car." The bench ordered all the governments to take steps to limit the list of dignitaries entitled to use red beacon with siren on their official cars.^[5]

Supreme Court upholds Section 377

A bench of justice GS Singhvi and justice SJ Mukhopadhaya has upheld the Section 377 of India's penal code bans "sex against the order of nature", which is widely interpreted to mean homosexual sex.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/supreme-court-verdict-gay-rights-decriminalisation-of-same-sex/1/330538.html

Other cases

In a judgement on 6 July 2011, the bench of Justice Singhvi along with Justice AK Ganguly ordered that entire 156 hectares of land be given back to the robbed farmers. The government had acquired the land for "development" but was handed over to builders for making commercial and residential complexes. The bench imposed a fine of ₹1 million (US$15,000) Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA) for its illegal act.^[6][7]

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Quotes

• "It is sad to say that my generation have failed the nation, and in a nation where 700 million people live below the poverty line we tend to talk about justice. We talk about our fundamental rights being trampled upon but what about those people who do not get two square meals a day, have no right to education, shelter, clothing and other basic amenities, and what about tribal people."
  • Justice Singhvi speaking at a seminar in Guwahati, Assam on 12 May 2012.^[16]
• "The 'jan sevaks' are fast becoming our masters, the first citizens followed by the rich and the poor only as third class citizens"
  • Justice Singhvi speaking at a seminar in Guwahati, Assam 12 May 2012.^[16]

References