After Unilateral Extension Of 6 Months, Centre Finally Appoints Justice Ramendra Jain As Permanent Judge Of P&H HC [Read Notification]

The Central Government, on Monday, finally notified the appointment of Justice Ramendra Jain as a permanent judge of Punjab & Haryana High Court.

The Centre had stirred up a storm in April this year, by unilaterally altering the recommendation to extend the Additional Judge’s term instead of making him permanent. It had, through a notification issued on April 19, extended Justice Jain’s term for a period of six months.

The three Judges collegium comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice J. Chelameswar and Justice Ranjan Gogoi had first recommended athe ppointment of Justice Jain as a permanent Judge in March this year. The Centre, however, sat on the recommendation, despite the Collegium’s request to process it expeditiously as Justice Jain’s term was set to expire on 19 April.

Thereafter, two days before his term was to end, the collegium reiterated its recommendation for his appointment. In its resolution, the Collegium noted that the issue of his transfer had already been dealt with on 12 July 2017, recording “specific reasons for retaining him in the Punjab and Haryana High Court”.

Despite this recommendation, the Centre had chosen to only extend Justice Jain’s term, in violation of the settled law which mandates that the Centre must accept the Collegium’s recommendation if it is reiterated a second time.