Advocate Shwetasree Majumdar, a leading expert in intellectual property (IP) law, has withdrawn her consent for appointment as a judge of the Delhi High Court, nearly a year after her name was recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium. The move comes in response to the Centre’s continued inaction and delay in processing her appointment.
Majumdar, whose name was recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium on 21 August 2023 under the leadership of then Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, confirmed the withdrawal of her nomination. However, she declined to disclose the reasons for her decision.
Prior to the Supreme Court’s recommendation, the Delhi High Court Collegium had also endorsed her name along with that of advocate Tejas Karia. While Karia’s appointment was cleared by the Centre and notified in February 2024, Majumdar’s file remained pending.
Senior advocate Sanjoy Ghose criticised the handling of Majumdar’s case, calling the situation “shameful.” He remarked, “Shwetasree has withdrawn her consent. She was a self-made first-generation lawyer from NLS, Bangalore, with an enviable practice and sector expertise in Intellectual Property Rights law. Unfortunately, those who egged her on to agree to judgeship did not fight for her or make any effort to spare her of humiliation! After this, I don’t think any NLU graduate with a decent standing will ever agree to judgeship!”
Majumdar’s case highlights a broader concern regarding the non-notification of names recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium. Advocate Saurabh Kirpal, whose name has also been pending despite a Collegium recommendation, similarly remains unappointed. Kirpal is known for being open about his non-heterosexual orientation, and questions have been raised in the past regarding the reasons behind the delay in his appointment.
In contrast, other names recommended alongside Majumdar’s—such as advocates Ajay Digpaul and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar—were approved and sworn in as judges of the Delhi High Court in January 2024.
This development comes even as the Supreme Court Collegium, now headed by Chief Justice B.R. Gavai, recommended the appointment of 39 individuals as judges across nine High Courts during meetings held on 1 and 2 July 2025. Among them, judicial officers Vinod Kumar, Madhu Jain, and Shail Jain have been approved for elevation to the Delhi High Court.
