Supreme Court Collegium Recommends Woman Chief Justice for Gujarat HC and CJs for 6 Other HCs [Read Recommendation]

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended names of judges for appointment as Chief Justices for seven high courts, including a woman judge from Allahabad High Court as administrative head of the Gujarat High Court.

It also nominated Chief Justice for the High Courts of Bombay, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Orissa, Kerala and Manipur.

The Collegium, led by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and also comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sanjiv Khanna, recommended Justice Sunita Agarwal, judge at Allahabad High Court, for appointment as the Chief Justice of High Court of Gujarat.

The post of the Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court fell vacant after the retirement of Justice Sonia G Gokani.

In its resolution of July 5, the Collegium said, While considering the name of Justice Agarwal, the Collegium has taken into consideration the fact that she would be the only woman Chief Justice of a High Court as presently there is no woman among the Chief Justices of the High Courts.

Justice Agarwal was appointed as a Judge of the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad on  November 21, 2011 and is now the 
senior-most puisne Judge in her parent High Court. She has been functioning there since her elevation and has acquired experience of more than 11 years 
in dispensing justice in the largest High Court in the country, the Collegium noted.

It also approved the appointment of Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, Judge, High Court of Judicature at Allahabad as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Bombay.

Justice Upadhyaya was appointed as a judge of the High Court of Allahabad on November 21, 2011 and is now a senior puisne Judge in his parent high court. He has been functioning there since his elevation and has acquired experience of more than 11 years in dispensing justice in the largest high court in the country.

On appointment of Justice Upadhyaya, the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad which is the largest High Court with a total judge-strength of 160 would get adequate representation among the Chief Justices of High Courts. Having regard to all relevant factors, the Collegium is of the considered view that Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya is fit and suitable in all respects for being appointed as Chief Justice of the High Court of Bombay, the Collegium said in its resolution.

It also recommended appointment of Justice Alok Aradhe, Judge, High Court of Karnataka (Parent High Court: Madhya Pradesh) as the Chief Justice of the High Court for the State of Telangana.

Justice Aradhe was appointed as a judge of the High Court of Madhya Pradesh on December 29, 2009 and is now a senior puisne Judge in his parent high court. He has been functioning, on transfer since November 2018 as a judge of the Karnataka High Court and has acquired experience of more than 13 years in dispensing justice in two large high courts.

Having regard to all relevant factors, the Collegium is of the considered view that Justice Aradhe is fit and suitable in all respects for being appointed as Chief Justice of the High Court for the State of Telangana, the Collegium said.

The Collegium also recommended appointment of Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur, judge, the High Court of Bombay [Parent High Court: Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh], as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh, and also recommended appointment of Justice Siddharth Mridul, judge, High Court of Delhi, as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Manipur.

Notably, Justice Thakur was earlier on February 9, 2023 recommended for appointment as Chief Justice of Manipur. However, this has so far  remained pending with the Union government.

Justice Mridul was appointed as a Judge of the High Court of Delhi on March 13, 2008 and has been functioning as the senior-most puisne Judge in his parent high court, the Collegium said.

It also recommended appointment of Justice Subhasis Talapatra, judge, High Court of Orissa (PHC: Tripura) as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Orissa.

It is proposed to recommend the name of Justice Talapatra, the senior-most Judge from the Tripura High Court, for appointment as Chief Justice of the High Court of Orissa. He was elevated as a Judge of the Gauhati High Court on November 15, 2011 and on establishment of a separate High Court for the State of Tripura in 2013 he opted the High Court of Tripura as his parent High Court. He has been functioning, on transfer, in the High Court of Orissa since June 10, 2022. He has acquired considerable experience of dispensing justice in two High Courts," the Collegium noted.

The Collegium said it resolved to recommend for appointment of Justice Talapatra for appointment as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Orissa consequent upon retirement of Dr Justice S Muralidhar. Justice Talapatra would be the first judge from Tripura High Court to be appointed as Chief Justice of a High Court.

In another resolution, the Collegium also recommended appointment of Justice Ashish J Desai, judge, High Court of Gujarat as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Kerala.

Justice Desai was appointed as a Judge of the High Court of Gujarat on November 21, 2011. He has acquired experience of more than 11 years in dispensing justice in a large High Court, the Collegium noted.

It said Justice Desai is the senior most puisne Judge in his parent High Court and is currently performing the duties of the office of Chief Justice of that High Court. While recommending his name, the Collegium has taken into consideration the fact that the High Court of Gujarat presently has no representation among the Chief Justices of the High Courts," the Collegium said.

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