Former CJI Ranjan Gogoi’s Rajya Sabha term ends: A look back at his 6 years in Parliament

His sole parliamentary speech came in August 2023 during the discussion on the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, a piece of legislation that gave the Union Government control over Delhi’s bureaucracy. Speaking in favour of the Bill, Gogoi made headlines by questioning the basic structure doctrine—a foundational legal principle articulated by the Supreme Court in 1973 that restricts Parliament from altering the core features of the Constitution. He termed the doctrine as having a “very debatable jurisprudential basis”—a remark that stood in contrast with his own past judgments upholding the principle while serving in the Supreme Court.

Gogoi’s entry into Parliament in March 2020, months after he demitted office as the chief justice of India, raised eyebrows. He is only the second former CJI to become a Rajya Sabha member. The first such CJI, Justice Ranganath Misra, was elected to the Upper House in 1998, seven years after retiring from the Supreme Court.

‘Call for service’ and ‘nation-building’

While critics and several former judges questioned Gogoi’s nomination as a post-retirement benefit that undermined the independence of the judiciary, the Bar Council of India backed the nomination. In a press release, it hailed this as an ideal opportunity to build a “bridge between the Legislature and Judiciary”, allowing lawmakers to hear the first-hand views of the judiciary. At the time, Gogoi defended his acceptance of the membership nomination by terming it as a “call for service…on my area of specialisation” and an avenue to foster cooperation between the legislature and the judiciary for “nation-building”.

In his memoir, Justice for the Judge, he wrote that he accepted the nomination because he wanted to raise issues relating to the judiciary and the Northeast region—Gogoi is from Assam—in Parliament.

Covid, House disruptions and ‘alternative contributions’

Over the years, the former chief justice has offered various reasons for his sparse parliamentary attendance. In a television interview in 2021, Gogoi attributed his low attendance to Covid restrictions and discomfort with the lack of social distancing and seating arrangements inside Parliament. He also asserted his independence as a nominated member, stating that he was not governed by any party whip and attended the House by his own choice.

More recently, in an interview with a news outlet, Gogoi pointed to frequent disruptions in the House as a deterrent to his participation. Emphasising that he was “not a professional politician” who needed to make a mark for career advancement, he noted that he did not believe in asking questions merely for the sake of it.
Instead, Gogoi highlighted his alternative contributions as a parliamentarian through addressing foreign delegations and law enforcement agencies on constitutional matters, as well as using his parliamentary salary to fund scholarships for law students.

During his tenure, according to the Rajya Sabha website, Gogoi was a member of the Parliamentary Committee for Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice from September 2024 onwards. He had also been a member of the Committee on External Affairs between July 2020 and September 2021 and then again from May 2022 to June 2024, and of the Committee on Communications and Information Technology from September 2021 till May 2022.

At the time of his retirement, he was also a member of the Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Law and Justice, which he joined in October 2024, and of the India-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group, which he joined in February 2026.