Supreme Court Collegium Recommends Judges For Various High Courts

The Supreme Court Collegium, under the leadership of Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, has put forward recommendations for judicial appointments to various High Courts.

These decisions were finalized during a meeting held on December 22.

Appointments for the Rajasthan High Court

Three judicial officers—Chandra Shekhar Sharma, Pramil Kumar Mathur, and Chandra Prakash Shrimali—have been recommended for elevation as judges of the Rajasthan High Court. Currently, the court operates with 32 judges, significantly short of its sanctioned strength of 50.

Recommendation for the Uttarakhand High Court

Judicial officer Ashish Naithani has been suggested for appointment as a judge of the Uttarakhand High Court, which presently functions with only six judges out of its sanctioned 11.

New Judge for the Bombay High Court

The Collegium has approved the elevation of advocate Pravin Sheshrao Patil to the position of judge in the Bombay High Court. In a statement, the Collegium noted, “The Supreme Court Collegium in its meeting held on 22nd December, 2024, has approved the proposal for appointment of Shri Pravin Sheshrao Patil, advocate, as a Judge of the High Court of Bombay.” This court, with a sanctioned strength of 94 judges, currently has 67 judges in office.

Allahabad High Court Appointment

Advocate Praveen Kumar Giri has been recommended for elevation to the Allahabad High Court. This High Court, the largest in the country, is operating with 81 judges against a sanctioned capacity of 160.

Recent Chief Justice Appointments

In a separate development, the Central Government has appointed new Chief Justices for the High Courts of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Justice G. Narendar, currently serving as a judge in the Andhra Pradesh High Court, has been appointed as Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court. His term will begin upon the retirement of the current Chief Justice.

Justice Narendar began his judicial career as a judge of the Karnataka High Court on January 2, 2015. He was later transferred to the Andhra Pradesh High Court in October 2023. Known for his extensive experience, he is the senior-most judge from his parent High Court and is also a member of the Other Backward Class (OBC) category. Before his judicial tenure, he practiced law in the Karnataka High Court.

Justice G.S. Sandhawalia has been named the new Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court.

These developments are part of ongoing efforts to address the judicial vacancies across the country’s High Courts, ensuring more efficient functioning and reducing case backlogs.

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