Justice K Balakrishnan is new NHRC chairman
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COMMENTS 
After remaining headless for over a year, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), on June 3, 2010, finally got a chief with the government appointing former Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan to the post
The Indian government has announced the appointment of former Chief Justice of India (CJI), Justice K G Balakrishnan as sixth chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). He will take charge on June 14, 2010, and enjoy a tenure of five years.
Justice Balakrishnan, 65, retired as CJI on May 12. The post of NHRC chairperson had been lying vacant for a year after the retirement of Justice Rajendra Babu. Since then, Justice G P Mathur, a member of the NHRC, was acting chairperson.
Balakrishnan’s three-year tenure as CJI was marked by some landmark verdicts and controversies such as the declaration of assets by judges and functioning of the collegium. A major judgment authored by Balakrishnan included the recent one declaring narco-analysis and brain mapping tests, without the consent of the person concerned, illegal. The CJI also headed the Bench that adjudicated the gas dispute between the Ambani brothers.
Balakrishnan courted controversy after he opposed the idea of bringing the CJI’s office under the purview of the Right to Information Act. Although initially reluctant about the declaration of judges’ assets, he and his colleagues later relented and put up details of their wealth on the Supreme Court website.
Source: Press Trust of India, June 4, 2010
The Hindustan Times, June 4, 2010
The Hindu, June 4, 2010