On Wednesday the Supreme Court Collegium Recommended names for Appointment of Chief Justices in Patna, Himachal Pradesh, Gauhati, and Tripura High Court.
Summary of Collegium Recommendation-
Mr. Justice K. Vinod Chandran of Kerala HC has been recommended as Chief Justice of Patna High Court.
Justice Sabina of Punjab and Haryana HC has been recommended as Chief Justice of Himanchal Pradesh High Court.
Justice Sandeep Mehta of Rajasthan High Court has been recommended as Chief Justice of Gauhati Hogh Court.
Justice Apresh Kumar Singh of Jharkhand High Court has been recommended as Chief Justice of Tripura High Court.
Recommendation of Collegium as quoted hereinunder-
Patna High Court-
The office of the Chief Justice of the High Court of Judicature at Patna has fallen vacant recently, consequent upon elevation of Mr. Justice Sanjay Karol to the Supreme Court. Therefore, appointment to that office is required to be made.
Mr. Justice K. Vinod Chandran is the seniormost Judge of the Kerala High Court. Mr. Justice K. Vinod Chandran was appointed on 08 November 2011 and is due to retire on 24 April 2025. The Collegium has previously resolved to appoint Mr. Justice K. Vinod Chandran as Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court. Since the date of that recommendation, the position of Chief Justices in number of other High Courts has fallen vacant, consequent of retirement and elevation of the incumbent Chief Justices as Judges of the Supreme Court.
Mr. Justice K. Vinod Chandran is the seniormost Judge of the Kerala High Court with wide experience. Having regard to the above circumstances, the Collegium resolves to recall its earlier recommendation for appointment of Mr. Justice K. Vinod Chandran as Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court and resolves to recommend that he be appointed as Chief Justice of the High Court of Judicature at Patna, as he is fit and suitable for the same.
Himachal Pradesh
The office of the Chief Justice of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh has fallen vacant recently, consequent upon retirement of Mr. Justice A.A. Sayed. Therefore, appointment to that office is required to be made.
Ms. Justice Sabina (PHC: Punjab and Haryana) was appointed on 12 March 2008 and is due to retire on 19 April 2023. She is presently the Acting Chief Justice of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh. The Collegium has, by its separate resolution, proposed the appointment of Mr. Justice Jaswant Singh, seniormost puisne Judge of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana, as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Tripura. Mr. Justice Jaswant Singh is also due to retire on 22 February 2023. The Collegium has already proposed Mr. Justice Rajesh Bindal, the first in order of seniority among the judges from the High Court of Punjab and Haryana (presently Chief Justice of the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad) for appointment as a Judge of the Supreme Court.
In this backdrop, having regard to the seniority of Ms. Justice Sabina, the Collegium resolves to recommend that she be appointed as Chief Justice of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh as she is fit and suitable in all respects for the same. Ms. Justice Sabina shall have a tenure of about two months before she retires as Chief Justice on 19 April 2023.
Gauhati High Court
The office of the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court has fallen vacant recently, consequent upon retirement of Mr. Justice R.M. Chhaya. Therefore, appointment to that office is required to be made.
Mr. Justice Sandeep Mehta, Judge, Rajasthan High Court, was appointed on 30 May 2011 and is due to retire on 10 January 2025. The Rajasthan High Court is unrepresented among the Chief Justices of the High Courts.
The Collegium has previously resolved to appoint Mr. Justice K. Vinod Chandran as Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court. The Collegium vide a separate resolution, has recommended appointment of Mr. Justice K. Vinod Chandran as Chief Justice of the High Court of Judicature at Patna.
Considering the above position, the Collegium resolves to recommend the appointment of Mr. Justice Sandeep Mehta as Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court as he is fit and suitable for the same.
Tripura High Court
Office of the Chief Justice of High Court of Tripura has been lying vacant for some time, consequent upon retirement of Mr. Justice Indrajit Mahanty. Therefore, appointment to that office is required to be made. By its resolution dated 25 January 2023, the Collegium has recommended the appointment of Mr. Justice Jaswant Singh (PHC: Punjab and Haryana) and presently the senior most Judge in the Orissa High Court, as Chief Justice of High Court of Tripura. Mr. Justice Jaswant Singh is due to retire on 22 February 2023. The Collegium has already recommended the transfer of Mr. Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh from the High Court of Jharkhand to the High Court of Tripura.
The Collegium resolves that upon the retirement of Mr. Justice Jaswant Singh, Mr. Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh, the senior most Judge in the High Court of Jharkhand (Date of Appointment: 24 January 2012 / Date of Retirement: 06 July 2027) who is fit and suitable in all respects be appointed as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Tripura.
The State of Jharkhand is unrepresented among the Chief Justices of the High Courts. The Collegium, therefore, resolves to recommend that upon the retirement of Mr. Justice Jaswant Singh, Mr. Justice Apresh Kumar Singh be appointed as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Tripura.
