On his last two working days as a Supreme Court judge, Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai headed two Constitution Benches that pronounced verdicts in important cases..The first verdict - passed on November 19 - dealt with seniority between district judges (direct recruits) and district judges (promotees).The second, and perhaps more significant judgment, answered a Presidential reference on whether the Supreme Court can fix timelines within which Governors are required to act on bills..The two verdicts, albeit on different issues, have one thing in common: they have no author..The first judgment was pronounced by a Bench of CJI Gavai and Justices Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, K Vinod Chandran and Joymalya Bagchi.The Presidential reference was answered by a Bench of CJI Gavai and Justices Kant, Nath, PS Narasimha and Atul S Chandurkar.After pronouncing the latter verdict, CJI Gavai mentioned in court,"The judgment will go in the name of the Court...it is unanimous and it is a voice of the Court.".It is rare for a judgment to not disclose authorship. In 2019, the Ayodhya judgment - in which a Supreme Court Bench led by then-CJI Ranjan Gogoi held in favour of the Hindu parties - did not have an author. However, it was widely speculated that Justice DY Chandrachud authored that judgment..Although the Supreme Court Rules, 2013 do not say anything on whether a judgment must have an author, it is general practice for judges to disclose authorship.
