After an extended period of deliberation, the Union government is set to approve the appointments of Chief Justices for the High Courts of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The two courts have been operating under acting chief justices due to delays in these critical judicial appointments.
The most prominent appointment is that of Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia, the senior-most puisne judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, who is expected to be named the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court. This position has been vacant since October 19, following the retirement of Chief Justice Rajiv Shakdher. Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan has been serving as the acting Chief Justice in the interim.
Insiders have revealed that Justice Sandhawalia’s nomination has finally reached the Prime Minister’s office, with official orders anticipated to be issued by next week. Notably, Justice Sandhawalia was originally recommended for the Chief Justice position at the Madhya Pradesh High Court on July 11, 2024, but after a lack of action from the government, the Supreme Court Collegium redirected its recommendation to the Himachal Pradesh High Court on September 17.*
Similarly, Justice Narendar G., presently a judge at the High Court of Andhra Pradesh, is under consideration for the position of Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court. This court has also been lacking a regular Chief Justice since Justice Ritu Bahri’s retirement on October 11, with Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari fulfilling the role of acting Chief Justice.
The delay in these appointments has reportedly caused some unease within the Supreme Court Collegium, particularly concerning the government’s unilateral postponement in processing names approved by the judiciary’s highest body.
