SC collegium recommends woman Chief Justice for Gujarat HC, nominates CJs for 6 HCs

At present, there are no woman judges as Chief Justices of High Courts. The Supreme Court Collegium's recommendation of elevating justice Sunita Agarwal, judge at Allahabad High Court, as the Chief Justice of High Court of Gujarat would change it. Reports ETV Bharat's Sumit Saxena.

New Delhi:The Supreme Court collegium headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud has recommended names of chief justices for seven high courts. The collegium, also comprising justices S K Kaul and Sanjiv Khanna, recommended justice Sunita Agarwal, judge at Allahabad High Court, as the chief justice of High Court of Gujarat. A vacancy arose in the office of the Chief Justice of the High Court of Gujarat upon the retirement of Justice Sonia G Gokani.

The collegium said: “Besides, while considering the name of Justice Sunita 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”.

“In terms of the Memorandum of Procedure, consultation has been held with the consultee-Judge/s with a view to ascertain the fitness and suitability of Ms Justice Sunita Agarwal for appointment as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Gujarat. The consultee-Judge/s have concurred with the proposal of her appointment as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Gujarat,” the collegium said.

The collegium recommended appointment of Justice Alok Aradhe, Judge, High Court of Karnataka ( Parent High Court(PHC): 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 29 December 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 Mr Justice Alok 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's resolution read.

The collegium recommended 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 21 November 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 Mr 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 Mr 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 resolution published on the apex court website read.

The collegium 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.

“It is proposed to appoint Mr Justice Siddharth Mridul as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Manipur. Mr Justice Siddharth Mridul was appointed as a Judge of the High Court of Delhi on 13 March 2008 and has been functioning as the senior-most puisne Judge in his parent high court”, said the collegium.

The collegium 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 Mr Justice Subhasis 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 15 November 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 10 June 2022. He has acquired considerable experience of dispensing justice in two High Courts,” the collegium said.

The collegium said it resolves to recommend that Justice Subhasis Talapatra be appointed as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Orissa consequent upon retirement of Dr. Justice S. Muralidhar. 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.

“Mr Justice Ashish J Desai was appointed as a Judge of the High Court of Gujarat on 21 November 2011. He has acquired experience of more than 11 years in dispensing justice in a large High Court”, said the collegium. 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”, said the resolution.