Former Supreme Court Justice Arun Mishra appointed BCCI Ombudsman
Former Supreme Court judge, Justice Arun Mishra, has been appointed as the Ombudsman for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). According to information available on the BCCI’s official website, he will also take on the role of the Ethics Officer for the cricketing body.
Post his tenure in the Supreme Court, Justice Mishra served as the chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), a position he held until his retirement last year. Justice Mishra began his legal career in 1978 and achieved a significant milestone in 1998-99 when he became the youngest chairperson of the Bar Council of India. In October 1999, he was elevated as a judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court.
His judicial career saw further advancements as he took on the role of Chief Justice at both the Rajasthan High Court and the Calcutta High Court. On July 7, 2014, he was appointed to the Supreme Court, where he served until his retirement on September 3, 2020.
During his time at the Supreme Court, Justice Mishra's tenure was marked by significant controversies, prominent being the Judge Loya case and the Prashant Bhushan contempt of court case. Initially tasked with hearing the case regarding a probe into the death of Judge BH Loya, the assignment of the case to Justice Mishra led to a historic press conference by the four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court, raising questions about judicial transparency. Justice Mishra later stepped aside from the matter.
Another incident that stirred debate occurred in February 2020 at the International Judicial Conference. During his remarks at the event, Justice Mishra praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a statement that many within the legal community criticized as inappropriate, fueling discussions about the judiciary's independence.
