Supreme Court Collegium Recommends Appointment Of Two Judicial Officers As Judges Of Patna High Court

The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended the appointment of two judicial officers - Shashi Bhushan Prasad Singh and Ashok Kumar Pandey as Judges of the Patna High Court.

The Collegium Resolution states, “In view of the above, the Collegium resolves to recommend that S/Shri (i) Shashi Bhushan Prasad Singh, and (ii) Ashok Kumar Pandey, Judicial Officers, be appointed as Judges of the High Court of Judicature at Patna. Their inter se seniority be fixed as per the existing practice.”

Shashi Bhushan Prasad Singh joined the Judicial Service in May 1996 and has served in various capacities in the State judiciary. He is currently the Registrar (Vigilance) at the Patna High Court.

Ashok Kumar Pandey joined the Judicial Service in December 1995 and has held various positions in the State judiciary. He currently serves as the Director of the Bihar Judicial Academy in Patna.

On May 7, 2024, the Chief Justice of the Patna High Court, in consultation with his two senior-most colleagues, forwarded the names of these officers for elevation. The Chief Minister and the Governor of Bihar also concurred with the recommendation.

The resolution states that as part of the procedure laid down in the Memorandum of Procedure, the Supreme Court Judges familiar with the functioning of the Patna High Court were consulted to evaluate the fitness and suitability of the candidates. The Collegium scrutinized and evaluated all materials placed on record, including the observations made by the Department of Justice.

The resolution states that the inputs of the Department of Justice indicated that they enjoy a good personal and professional image, with no adverse information regarding their integrity.

After considering the views of the consultee judges, the report of the Judgement Assessment Committee, and the assessment by the Government of India, the Collegium deemed them fit for appointment as a High Court Judge, the resolution stat.

In considering these recommendations, the Supreme Court Collegium also noted that certain senior judicial officers were not recommended for elevation. The resolution states that the High Court Collegium provided valid reasons for this, which the Supreme Court Collegium accepted.