SC Collegium Recommends Chief Justices for 3 High Courts

The Supreme Court collegium headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud has recommended the names of three judges to the Centre for appointment as chief justices of the high courts of Uttarakhand, Orissa, and Meghalaya.

The three-member collegium, also comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sanjiv Khanna, has recommended Justice Ritu Bahri, Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh, and Justice S Vaidyanathan for the positions of chief justice in the high courts of Uttarakhand, Orissa, and Meghalaya, respectively.

Justice Bahri, presently serving as a judge in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Justice Singh, a judge in the Patna High Court, and Justice Vaidyanathan, a judge in the Madras High Court, have been nominated.

A resolution posted on the apex court’s website states that a vacancy in the office of the chief justice of the Uttarakhand High Court has arisen following the retirement of Justice Vipin Sanghi on October 26, 2023. The resolution proposes the appointment of Justice Ritu Bahri as the chief justice of the High Court of Uttarakhand. She was appointed as a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on August 16, 2010.

The resolution underscores Justice Bahri’s seniority in her parent high court and her significant contributions to the judiciary. During her 13-year tenure as a high court judge, she authored 843 reported judgments, with 247 delivered in the last five years. The collegium also notes that there is currently only one woman chief justice, and appointing Justice Bahri would enhance the representation of women among the chief justices of the high courts.

Another resolution posted on the website states that a vacancy in the office of the chief justice of the Orissa High Court has arisen following the retirement of Justice Subhasis Talapatra on October 3. It states that Justice Singh, appointed as a judge of the Patna High Court on April 5, 2012, and serving as the senior-most judge, is proposed as the chief justice of the Orissa High Court. The resolution highlights Justice Singh’s substantial contributions to the judiciary, with 1,246 reported judgments authored during his more than 11 years as a high court judge, including 562 delivered in the last five years. The collegium also considers the fact that the Patna High Court is currently not represented among the chief justices of high courts.

A separate collegium resolution mentions that Justice Vaidyanathan was appointed as a judge of the Madras High Court on October 25, 2013. He is proposed as the chief justice of the Meghalaya High Court. The resolution details Justice Vaidyanathan’s substantial contributions to the judiciary, with 1,219 reported judgments authored during his ten-year tenure as a high court judge, including 692 delivered in the last five years. The collegium also acknowledges that the Madras High Court, being one of the largest high courts in the country, currently has only one chief justice among the chief justices of high courts.