Ramendra Jain J. (finally) appointed Permanent Judge of Punjab & Haryana HC [Read Notification]

The Central Government has finally approved the appointment of Justice Ramendra Jain as a permanent judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, months after it refused to abide by Collegium proposals to this effect.

Justice Jain was initially recommended to be appointed as a permanent judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on March 26 this year. However, after this recommendation failed to yield any constructive response, the Collegium passed another resolution on April 17, reiterating its stance that Justice Jain’s appointment should be made permanent.

In doing so, the Collegium had also dismissed objections presented by the Department of Justice that Justice Jain’s file was not considered as he was due to be transferred to the Karnataka High Court. In response, it was pointed out that the Government had failed to take into consideration that in July 2017, the Collegium had recorded special reasons for retaining Jain J. at the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The Collegium had, therefore, observed,

“We do not see any good ground for linking the proposal of transfer of Mr. Justice Ramendra Jain with the proposal for his appointment as Permanent Judge and even for revisiting, at this crucial juncture, the above-referred decision dated 26th March, 2018 for his appointment as Permanent Judge of the Punjab & Haryana High Court.”

On this ground, the Collegium had reiterated its recommendation to make Justice Jain a permanent judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

All the same, two days later the Government chose not to accede to the Collegium’s proposal right away and instead notified the extension of Justice Jain’s term as additional judge of the Court for another six months.

However, with this term of extension drawing to an end, the Central Government has finally approved the appointment of Justice Jain as a permanent judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The notification issued to this effect today states,

“In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (1) of Article 217 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint Shri Justice Ramendra Jain, Additional Judge of the Punjab & Haryana High Court, to be a judge of the Punjab & Haryana High Court with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office.”

Read the Notification.