The Supreme Court Collegium comprising Chief Justice of India, Shri. D.Y. Chandrachud, Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice B.R. Gavai, vide Resolution dated September 17, 2024, recommended the appointment of the following Judges for the following High Courts:

• Justice Indra Prasanna Mukerji - Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court
• Justice Tashi Rabstan - Chief Justice of the J&K High Court
• Justice Suresh Kumar Kait - Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court.
• Justice G.S. Sandhawalia - CJ of Himachal Pradesh High Court (After Justice Rajiv Shakdher retires)
• Justice Manmohan - Chief Justice of Delhi High Court
• Justice N.M. Jamdar - Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court
• Justice K.R. Shriram - Chief Justice of Madras High Court

On 11 July 2024, the Supreme Court Collegium passed a resolution concerning the appointment of Chief Justices for several High Courts. It had recommended that Mr. Justice Manmohan, Acting Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, be elevated as Chief Justice of the same court. 

Additionally, Mr. Justice Rajiv Shakdher, the second seniormost judge of the Delhi High Court, was recommended for the position of Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court. This followed the proposed transfer of Mr. Justice M. S. Ramachandra Rao to the Jharkhand High Court.

The Collegium also suggested that Mr. Justice Suresh Kumar Kait, a senior judge of the Delhi High Court, be appointed as Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court. 

Similarly, Mr. Justice G. S. Sandhawalia, the seniormost judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, was recommended for the post of Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court. 

Mr. Justice Nitin Madhukar Jamdar, the seniormost judge of the Bombay High Court, was nominated for the position of Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court.

For the Meghalaya High Court, Mr. Justice Tashi Rabstan, the seniormost judge of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court, was proposed as the next Chief Justice. 

Lastly, Mr. Justice K. R. Shriram, the second seniormost judge of the Bombay High Court, was recommended for the post of Chief Justice of the Madras High Court.

However, these recommendations were still pending with the government. Upon reconsideration, the Collegium revised its earlier proposals on September 17, 2024 regarding Mr. Justice Suresh Kumar Kait, Mr. Justice G. S. Sandhawalia, and Mr. Justice Tashi Rabstan.

The Collegioum recommended that Mr. Justice Indra Prasanna Mukerji, the seniormost judge of the Calcutta High Court, be appointed as Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court.

As a result, the earlier recommendation for Mr. Justice Tashi Rabstan to be appointed Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court was superseded. The Collegium proposed that he be appointed as Chief Justice of his parent High Court, J&K and Ladakh as permitted in the Memorandum of Procedure. His appointment was considered significant, as he would be the first Chief Justice from Ladakh.

With Mr. Justice Rabstan now proposed for J&K and Ladakh, the Collegium recommended Mr. Justice Suresh Kumar Kait for the Madhya Pradesh High Court. As a senior judge in the Delhi High Court and belonging to the Scheduled Caste category, Mr. Justice Kait ranked fifth on the All India Seniority list of High Court Judges. His seniority made him a suitable candidate for the Madhya Pradesh High Court.

In addition, the Collegium proposed a change for the Himachal Pradesh High Court. Since Mr. Justice Rajiv Shakdher was due to retire on 18 October 2024, it was recommended that Mr. Justice G. S. Sandhawalia be appointed as Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court after Mr. Justice Shakdher’s retirement.

The Collegium clarified that these revisions would not affect its original recommendations for the appointments of Mr. Justice Manmohan, Mr. Justice Rajiv Shakdher, Mr. Justice Nitin Madhukar Jamdar, and Mr. Justice K. R. Shriram as Chief Justices of the High Courts of Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, and Madras, respectively.

Details: Resolution dated September 17, 2024 (Tap to Open)

(For more updates, tap to join our Whatsapp Channel and our LinkedIn Page)