Collegium Resolutions: Chief Justices appointed to four High Courts [Read Resolutions]

The Supreme Court Collegium has passed resolutions for the appointment of new Chief Justices to the High Courts of Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Gauhati.

Gujarat High Court

For the Gujarat High Court, the Collegium has recommended that Allahabad High Court judge, Justice Vikram Nath be appointed. Earlier this year, the Collegium had proposed that Justice Nath be appointed the first Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court.

However, as revealed in the Collegium resolution dated August 22, the Centre returned the file and requested that the collegium reconsider this proposal. The Collegium has now proposed that Justice Nath be appointed the next Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court instead, a post the Collegium notes has been lying vacant for quite a long time.

Justice Vikram Nath obtained his law degree in 1986. Following his enrolment in 1987, he practised in the Allahabad High Court. He was appointed an additional judge of the Allahabad High Court in 2004. He was made a permanent judge of the High Court in 2006.

Andhra Pradesh High Court

Instead of Justice Nath, the Collegium has now proposed that Justice JK Maheshwari, the senior most puisne judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, be appointed as the first Chief Justice of the recently bifurcated Andhra Pradesh High Court.

The office of the Andhra Pradesh High Court Chief Justice has been lying vacant since the day of its inception, notes the resolution passed on Monday. Following its creation, the High Court has been manned by Acting Chief Justice Chagari Praveen Kumar. While proposing that Justice Maheshwari be appointed its Chief Justice, the Collegium has also emphasized that it was “well conscious of his position in the seniority of Judges hailing from the Madhya Pradesh High Court.”

Born on June 29, 1961, Justice Maheshwari enrolled as Advocate in 1985. He practised on Civil, Criminal and Constitutional sides in the High Court of Madhya Pradesh at Gwalior. He was appointed as an additional judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on November 25, 2005, and as a permanent judge on November 25, 2008.

Sikkim High Court

Acting Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court, Justice Arup Kumar Goswami has been recommended to take over as Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court following the impending retirement of present Chief Justice VK Bist.

While endorsing Justice Goswami’s suitability to helm the Court for the retirement of Chief Justice Bist, the Collegium has observed, “Mr. Justice Arup Kumar Goswami is the senior-most Judge from Gauhati High Court and has been functioning there since his elevation.”

Born in 1961, Justice Goswami obtained his LLB degree from the Government Law College, Gauhati in 1985. He enrolled as an Advocate in the Bar Council of Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh the same year. He practice primarily on the  Civil, Criminal, Constitutional and Service side. He was designated a Senior Advocate in 2004. He was appointed a permanent judge of the Gauhati High Court in November 2012. 

Gauhati High Court

Justice Ajai Lamba, presently sitting at the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court, has been proposed for appointment as the next Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court.

Justice Lamba enrolled as an advocate in 1981 after he obtained his LL.B. degree from the Punjab University, Chandigarh. He practiced on the civil, criminal and revenue sides as well as in Labour law, Company law, Service law, and Constitutional law. He was elevated as a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High court in March 2006. In December 2011, he was transferred to the Allahabad High Court.

While recommended that he be appointed as the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court, the Collegium has taken note that Justice Lamba is presently the senior-most judge originally hailing from the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

[Read the Collegium Resolution for Gujarat High Court Chief Justice]

[Read the Collegium Resolution for Andhra Pradesh High Court Chief Justice]

[Read the Collegium Resolution for Sikkim High Court Chief Justice]

[Read the Collegium Resolution for Gauhati High Court Chief Justice]