New Delhi: The Supreme Court collegium led by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud Thursday recommended for appointment of chief justices of Orissa, Uttarakhand, and Meghalaya high courts. The Collegium, also comprising justices S K Kaul and Sanjiv Khanna, in a resolution uploaded on November 2, said a vacancy in the office of the Chief Justice of the High Court of Meghalaya has arisen consequent upon the retirement of Justice Sanjib Banerjee on November 1, 2023, therefore an appointment to that office is required to be made.
The collegium cited para 3 of the Memorandum of Procedure relating to the appointment of the Chief Justice of a High Court and proposed to appoint Justice S Vaidyanathan as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Meghalaya.
“As regards his contribution to the judiciary by way of disposal of cases, during his tenure of 10 years as a judge of the High Court, he authored 1219 reported judgments, of which 692 were delivered during the last 5 years. He has acquired considerable experience in dispensing justice in one of the largest high courts in the country. He is the senior most puisne Judge in his parent high court. He is a competent judge with humility, judicial temperament, and unimpeachable integrity”, said the collegium.
The collegium said while recommending his name, it has also taken into consideration the fact that the Madras High Court which is one of the largest high courts in the country, is presently represented by only one chief justice among the chief justices of the high courts.
In a separate resolution, the collegium proposed to appoint Mr Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Orissa. “As regards his contribution to the judiciary by way of disposal of cases, during his tenure of more than 11 years as a Judge of High Court, he authored 1246 reported judgments, of which 562 were delivered during last 5 years. He has maintained a high standard of professional ethics at the Bar and Bench and enjoys a good reputation for conduct and integrity. While recommending the name of Mr Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh, the collegium has also taken into consideration the fact that at present the High Court of Judicature at Patna has no representation among the chief justices of high courts”, said the resolution.
In a separate resolution, the collegium proposed to appoint Justice Ritu Bahri as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Uttarakhand. The collegium said she specialized in service and tax matters and during her practice of 24 years she also served as assistant advocate general, deputy advocate general, and senior deputy advocate general for the State of Haryana. “While recommending the name of Ms Justice Ritu Bahri as the Chief Justice, the collegium has also taken into consideration the fact that the High Court of Punjab and Haryana has jurisdiction over two large States and at present there is only one chief justice to represent the High Court of Punjab and Haryana from among the chief justices of the high courts. Besides, at present there is only one woman chief justice and her elevation would enhance the representation of women among the chief justices of the high courts”, said the collegium, in a resolution dated November 2.
Meanwhile, the Centre has approved 13 names for appointment as judges of the high courts of Madhya Pradesh (seven judges), Patna (two judges) Punjab and Haryana (three judges), and Gauhati High Court (one).
