Centre Notifies Appointment Of Advocate Kardak Ete As Additional Judge Of Gauhati HC

The Central government on Friday notified the appointment of Senior Advocate Kardak Ete as an additional judge of the Gauhati High Court.

On the website of the Ministry of Law and Justice, a notice to this effect was posted.

“In exercise of the power conferred by clause (1) of Article 224 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint Shri Kardak Ete, as an Additional Judge of the Madras High Court for a period of two years with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office,” the notification stated.

On March 2,2023, the Supreme Court Collegium, which comprised of Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, and Justice K M Joseph, recommended the appointment of senior advocate Kardak Ete as a judge of the Gauhati High Court.

The Collegium stated in its resolution that the elevation of Ete, who belongs to a Scheduled Tribe, will increase the diversity of the Gauhati High Court bench.

“The report of the Intelligence Bureau indicates that he enjoys a good personal and professional image and nothing adverse has come to notice with regard to integrity. The candidate belongs to a Scheduled Tribe. Besides his own competence and standing at the Bar, the appointment of Shri Kardak Ete will bring greater diversity and inclusion to the High Court. The Collegium, therefore, resolves to recommend that Shri Kardak Ete, Advocate, be appointed as a Judge of the Gauhati High Court,” the resolution stated.

The recommendation was supported by the chief ministers and governors of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, and Nagaland.

Advocate Ete, who formerly served as Arunachal Pradesh’s Additional Advocate General, would be the first advocate from the border state to be appointed as a judge of the Gauhati High Court.

The Gauhati High Court now has 23 judges, against a sanctioned strength of 24, which includes the chief justice and six additional judges.