Supreme Court Collegium proposes new CJs to seven High Courts; focusses on seniority, regional and women representation in higher judiciary

The Supreme Court Collegium has focussed on the traditional criteria of seniority, regional representation and the need for more women judges at the helm of judiciary while recommending new Chief Justices to seven major High Courts across the country.

The Supreme Court Collegium has focussed on the traditional criteria of seniority, regional representation and the need for more women judges at the helm of judiciary while recommending new Chief Justices to seven major High Courts across the country.

The Collegium led by Chief Justice of India D. Y. Chandrachud has proposed Chief Justices to fill existing and future vacancies to the High Courts of Kerala, Orissa, Manipur, Andhra Pradesh, Bombay, Telangana and Gujarat.

Collegium recommends Telangana, Kerala Chief Justices for Supreme Court

The Collegium has suggested Gujarat high Court judge Justice Ashish J. Desai as the new Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court with the proposed elevation of the incumbent Justice S. Venkatanarayana Bhatti to the Supreme Court.

Justice Desai is the senior most puisne judge of the Gujarat High Court and currently performing the duties of the Chief Justice of that High Court following the retirement of Justice Sonia G. Gokani. The Collegium also noted that Gujarat did not have a representation among the Chief Justices of High Courts.

The Collegium has recommended Justice Subhasis Talapatra, the senior most puisne judge of the Tripura High Court, for appointment as Chief Justice of Orissa High Court upon the retirement of the incumbent Justice S. Muralidhar, in August 2023. The Collegium noted that Tripura High Court has not got representation among the Chief Justices of High Courts since its inception in 2013.

Senior most puisne judge of the Delhi High Court Justice Siddharth Mridul has been recommended by the Collegium for appointment as the Manipur Chief Justice. The High Court is presently functioning under Acting Chief Justice M. V. Muralidharan, whose March 27 order is reportedly considered a trigger for the ensuing violence between Meitei and Kukis in the State.