Vivian Bose

Justice Vivian Bose (also rendered V. V. N. Bose) (9 June 1891 – 29 November 1983) was a judge of the Supreme Court of India, who later (November 1957–November 1959) served as the national commissioner of the Bharat Scouts and Guides.

Scouting for Indian Boys was started by Justice Bose, Madan Mohan Malaviya, Hridayanath Kunzru, Annie Besant and George Arundale, in 1913.

He became Judge of Nagpur High Court on 9 January 1936 and later became its chief justice on 20 February 1949.

Justice Bose was a member of the World Scout Committee of the World Organization of the Scout Movement from 1947 until 1949.

He was also the President of the International Commission of Jurists. Justice Bose is known for breaking new ground in law, the significance of which came to be realized in later years.

The landmark judgement by Vivian Bose J in Virsa Singh v State of Punjab [1958 AIR 465] has set an important judicial precedent regarding the applicability of section 300 Thirdly of The Indian Penal Code of 1860.

After initially retiring in June 1956, he rejoined the Court under Article 128 of the Constitution. Over the course of his tenure on the Supreme Court, Bose authored 124 judgments and sat on 364 benches. He retired for a second time in September 1958.

He was married to Canadian Irene Mott, the author of The Monkey Tree on 18 December 1930. His father-in-law was John Mott, a Nobel Prize laureate.