BREAKING: Supreme Court Collegium Recommends New Chief Justices For HCs Of Allahabad, Calcutta, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat & Manipur

Supreme Court Collegium has recommended names of 5 judges for elevation as Chief Justices of the respective High Courts as follows:

1. Justice Pritinker Diwaker - Allahabad High Court [PHC: High Court of Chhattisgarh]

2. Justice T S Sivagnanam - Calcutta High Court [PHC: Madras High Court]

3. Justice Ramesh Sinha - Chhattisgarh High Court 

4. Justice Sonia G Gokani - Gujarat High Court

5. Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur - Manipur High Court [PHC: High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh],

Allahabad High Court

The Collegium's Statement reads that the office of the Chief Justice of the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad would be falling vacant, consequent upon the elevation of Justice Rajesh Bindal to the Supreme Court of India. Therefore, an appointment to that office is required to be made.

Justice Pritinker Diwaker is the seniormost puisne Judge at the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad where he has been serving, on transfer, since 03 October 2018. Mr Justice Pritinker Diwaker is the seniormost puisne Judge of the High Court of Chhattisgarh.

"Having regard to all relevant factors, the Collegium is of the considered view that Mr Justice Pritinker Diwaker is fit and suitable in all respects for being appointed as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad," the Collegium has said.

Calcutta High Court

The office of the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court would be falling vacant on 30 March 2023, consequent upon the retirement of Mr. Justice Prakash Shrivastava and therefore, the Collegium has recommended the name of Justice T S Sivagnanam, the seniormost Judge of the Calcutta High Court for appointment as Chief of High Court.

Chhattisgarh High Court

The office of the Chief Justice of the High Court of Chhattisgarh would be falling vacant on 10 March 2023, consequent upon the retirement of Justice Arup Kumar Goswami. Therefore, the Collegium has recommended the name of Justice Ramesh Sinha, the seniormost puisne Judge from the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, as the Chief Justice of Chhattisgarh HC.

While recommending his name, in its statement, the Collegium noted that the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad is the largest High Court in the country, however, after the elevation of Justice Pankaj Mithal to the Supreme Court, it does not have any representation among the Chief Justices of the High Courts.

Gujarat High Court 

Since the Supreme Court Collegium, by its resolution dated 31 January 2023, has recommended the elevation of Justice Aravind Kumar, Chief Justice of the High Court of Gujarat, as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India, therefore, to take care of the probable vacancy, the Collegium has recommended the name of Justice Sonia Gokani as the Chief Justice of the High Court.

If her name is accepted by the President, she would be the only Woman Justice heading a High Court in the country.

Ms Justice Sonia G Gokani is the senior most Judge of the High Court of Gujarat. She was appointed on 17 February 2011 and is due to demit office on 25 February 2023. Ms Justice Gokani is drawn from the judicial service of the State of Gujarat.

"Besides being the senior most Judge, the appointment of Ms Justice Gokani as Chief Justice will bring a sense of inclusion and facilitate a representation for Judges drawn from the services in the office of Chief Justice," the collegium statement reads.

Manipur High Court

Since the office of the Chief Justice of the High Court of Manipur has fallen vacant recently consequent upon the elevation of Justice P V Sanjay Kumar to the Supreme Court of India, therefore, the SC collegium has recommended the name of Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur, the seniormost Judge of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, as the Chief Justice of Manipur HC.

He was appointed on 08 March 2013 and has been functioning, on transfer, as a Judge of the High Court of Judicature at Bombay since 10 June 2022. The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh do not have representation among the Chief Justices of the High Courts since the retirement of Mr. Justice A M Magrey.

"Over a long period of time, no Judge of Jammu & Kashmir origin has been elevated to Chief Justice of a High Court or as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India," the collegium's statement reads.