Legal Fraternity Mourns the Loss of Esteemed Retired Supreme Court Judge Justice Mamidana Jagannadha Rao: A Pillar of Justice Passes Away
(Judicial Quest News Network)
Justice Mamidana Jagannadha Rao, a distinguished former Supreme Court judge, passed away on Monday at the age of 88. He was the father of Justice MS Ramchander Rao, the current Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court.
Born on December 2, 1935, Justice Jagannadha Rao came from a family deeply rooted in law, with his father also serving as a judge at the Andhra Pradesh High Court for a brief period before his passing.
Justice Rao completed his B.Sc. (Hons.) and LL.B., and was enrolled as an advocate in 1960 at the Hyderabad High Court. He practiced civil law in both original and appellate jurisdictions in Hyderabad.
In September 1982, Justice Rao was appointed an Additional Judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, and later became a permanent judge in November of the same year. In 1991, he was appointed Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court and was transferred to the Delhi High Court in 1994. Justice Rao was appointed to the Supreme Court of India in March 1997 and retired in December 2000.
Post-retirement, Justice Rao was appointed Chairman of the Sixteenth Law Commission of India, succeeding Justice B.P. Jeevan Reddy. Under his leadership, the Law Commission was comprised of three members, with Justice Rao as Chairman.
Throughout his distinguished career, Justice Jagannadha Rao contributed significantly to the fields of Civil Law, Administrative Law, Constitutional Law, Service Law, and Environmental Law, leaving behind a legacy of influential rulings. His work continues to be remembered and respected within India’s legal community.
