The Supreme Court Collegium has recently recommended the name of seven different judges as the Chief Justice of seven separate High Courts.
The recommended names include Justice Sunita Agarwal for the High Court of Gujarat, Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya for the High Court of Bombay, Justice Alok Aradhe for the High Court of Telangana, Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur for the High Court of Andhra Pradesh, Justice Siddharth Mridul for the High Court of Manipur, Justice Subhasis Talapatra for the High Court of Orissa, and Justice Ashish J Desai for the High Court of Kerala.
The Collegium, consisting of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sanjiv Khanna, made these recommendations during a meeting.
If approved by the Centre, Justice Sunita Agarwal would become the first woman Chief Justice of the High Court of Gujarat, while the other recommended judges would serve as Chief Justices for their respective High Courts.
The Collegium expressed its confidence in the suitability of these judges for the role of Chief Justice in their respective High Courts, based on their experience & qualifications. They believe that these appointments will enhance representation and bring valuable perspectives to the judiciary.
Justice Sunita Agarwal, Justice Siddharth Mridul, and Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya have extensive experience as judges in their respective High Courts, with Justice Agarwal having served for over 11 years in the largest High Court in the country, the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad.
The resolution also highlights the significance of Justice Sunita Agarwal’s appointment, as she would be the only woman serving as a Chief Justice among the High Courts. The appointment of Justice Upadhyaya would provide adequate representation for the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, which has the highest number of judges in the country.
The Collegium’s recommendations reflect their confidence in these judges’ abilities and their commitment to ensuring fair and effective administration of justice across the High Courts.
