SC Collegium recommends names of 5 judges as Chief Justices of High Courts

The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended names of five judges for appointment as Chief Justices in Rajasthan, Kerala, Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh High Courts.

The five names are -- Delhi High Court Judge Justice S Ravindra Bhat, Kerala High Court Judge Justice P R Ramachandra Menon, Punjab and Haryana High Court Judge Justice A K Mittal, Allahabad High Court Judge Justice Vikram Nath and Bombay High Court Judge Justice A S Oka.

The Collegium recommended the appointment of Justice Bhat after noting that the office of the Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court has fallen vacant after the recent transfer of Justice Pradeep Nandrajog to Bombay High Court.

"Therefore, appointment to that office is required to be made. Justice S Ravindra Bhat is the senior-most Judge from Delhi High Court and is functioning in that High Court since his elevation. Having regard to all relevant factors, the Collegium finds Justice S Ravindra Bhat suitable in all respects for being appointed as Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court. The Collegium resolves to recommend accordingly.

"While making the above recommendation, the Collegium is conscious of the fact that consequent upon the proposed appointment, there will be three Chief Justices from Delhi High Court, which has the special distinction of being the High Court for the national capital," the Collegium said.

It also recommended appointment of Justice Menon noting that the office of the Chief Justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court has fallen vacant recently after resignation of Justice A K Tripathi, Chief Justice of the High Court.

The Collegium said it finds Justice Menon suitable in all respects for being appointed as Chief Justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court and "consequent upon the proposed appointment, there will be two Chief Justices from Kerala High Court".

On Justice Mittal, it noted that office of the Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court would be falling vacant shortly after retirement of Justice M Y Mir, Chief Justice of that High Court.

"Having regard to all relevant factors, the Collegium finds Justice A K Mittal suitable in all respects for being appointed as Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court," it said.

Following the proposed appointment there will be "two Chief Justices from the Punjab & Haryana High Court, which serves two States and is the third largest High Court in the country, with sanctioned strength of 85 Judges", the Collegium said.

On Justice Nath, it said that office of the Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court which has recently been constituted as separate High Court for the State of Andhra Pradesh, has been lying vacant right from the day of its inception.

"Therefore, appointment to that office is required to be made. Mr Justice Vikram Nath is the senior-most Judge from Allahabad High Court and is functioning in that High Court since his elevation...

"Upon the proposed appointment there will be three Chief Justices from the Allahabad High Court, which is the largest High Court in the country with the sanctioned strength of 160 Judges," it said.

The Collegium has also recommended appointment of Justice Oka as Chief Justice in Karnataka High Court, after elevation of Justice Dinesh Maheshwari, Chief Justice of that High Court to the Supreme Court.

"The Collegium finds Mr Justice A S Oka suitable in all respects for being appointed as Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court.

"...there will be two Chief Justices from Bombay High Court which is the second largest High Court in the country with sanctioned strength of 94 Judges," it said.

The decision was taken by the apex court collegium, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and comprising Justices S A Bobde, N V Ramana on April 8 which uploaded on the apex court website on Wednesday.