Justice Rajesh Bindal Appointed As Acting Chief Justice Of Jammu & Kashmir High Court

The notification dated December 8 has been issued pursuant to the retirement of Chief Justice Gita Mittal, who will demit the office today. A Full Court Reference at the Jammu & Kashmir High Court took place today to bid Farewell to the Chief Justice.

"When God closes one door, he opens palace doors for you; I truly believe that. I'm sure another door will open for me tomorrow," Justice Mittal said in her farewell speech.

As per the High Court website, Justice Bindal obtained his degree in law from the Kurukshetra University in 1985 and joined the profession in the Punjab & Haryana High Court. He represented the Chandigarh Administration before Central Administrative Tribunal for more than a decade till 2004.

He represented Punjab & Haryana regions of Employees Provident Fund Organization before the High Court and Central Administrative Tribunal from 1992 till his elevation. He remained associated, on behalf of State of Haryana, in settlement of the dispute concerning Satluj Yamuna Water with State of Punjab before the Eradi Tribunal and the Supreme Court. He also represented Income-tax Department, Haryana region before the High Court.

Justice Bindal was elevated as a Judge of the Punjab & Haryana High Court on March 22, 2006. He remained Chairman of the Committee constituted pursuant to Resolution No. 7 adopted in the Chief Justices' Conference, 2016 for framing Draft Rules for Electronic Evidence and submitted his report to the Supreme Court in November 2018.

Being Chairman of a multi-member Committee constituted by Ministry of Women and Child Development to study Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction Bill, 2016, he submitted report accompanied by the recommendations and draft of the Protection of Children (Inter-Country Removal and Retention) Bill, 2018 to the Ministry in April 2018.

During his tenure in Punjab and Haryana High Court, Justice Bindal disposed of around 80,000 cases. Before his transfer to the Jammu & Kashmir High Court, he was heading various Committees including Computer Committee, Arrears Committee.

On transfer to Jammu & Kashmir High Court, he took oath of office on 19th November, 2018.

Presently, he is Chairman of the Finance Committee, Building and Infrastructure Committee, Information Technology Committee, State Court Management Systems Committee, in the Jammu & Kashmir High Court and also Chairman of the Jammu & Kashmir State Legal Service Authority.

He is also the Chairman of the Committee constituted for conducting assessment for optimal use of technology by NALSA and the State Legal Services Authorities including use of Artificial Intelligence. He is also Member of the Committee constituted to go into the existing framework of Lok Adalats and Mediation and to suggest ways for enhancing operational efficiency and plugging gaps, if any, or better application of these ADR mechanisms for weaker sections of the society.