Gopal Pattanaik - A Lifestory

A person known for being honest in court and having a good understanding of law was the 32nd Chief Justice of India. This person, who worked hard to get to the top, made a big impact on the Indian courts. Born in 1937, the journey started way before becoming the top judge. Think of this person as being like a movie maker carefully making a good story, like Satyajit Ray making "Pather Panchali"; this person carefully made legal arguments and gave clear and exact rulings. The career path shows a strong promise to being fair. From the start as a lawyer, the person's smart mind and deep knowledge of the law were clear. The person was made a Judge of the Orissa High Court in 1989 and later moved up to the Supreme Court of India in 1995. The person became the Chief Justice of India on 08 November 2002, serving until leaving the job on 19 December 2002. People who worked with this person often said they were fair and could handle hard legal problems. As one senior lawyer said, "Justice was always made sure that everyone was heard, no matter where they came from or who they were." The time in the job, though not long, showed a promise to supporting the rules of the constitution and making sure justice was done.