The post of the chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), which had been lying vacant for over a year, has finally been filled up with former chief justice K.G. Balakrishnan being appointed as the new chairperson. The post had been lying vacant since May 2009.
According to sources, the appointment of Justice Balakrishnan was approved by President Pratibha Patil, who acted on the recommendation of a parliamentary committee headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The former Chief Justice will take up the post that was left vacant by Justice Rajendra Babu after he retired in May last year.
Justice Balakrishnan (Retd), who will be the sixth chairperson of the NHRC, has been appointed for a period of five years. Earlier, in the absence of any chairperson, Justice G.P. Mathur, a member of the commission, had been acting as its chairperson.
Soon after Justice Balakrishnan, 65, retired from the post of Supreme Court Chief Justice on May 12, there was speculation that he could be appointed as the new chief of the NHRC.
Justice Balakrishnan began his legal career in 1968 at the Kerala Bar Council. He was appointed as a munsif in 1973 but quit the job.