The Supreme Court reprimanded the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court for individually reconsidering a recommendation for a judge’s elevation without the Collegium’s collective consideration. The apex court said in its ruling that this is something that can only be done by the High Court Collegium acting collectively and not individually.
The SC bench also directed the Himachal Pradesh High Court Collegium to again consider for elevation District Judges Chirag Bhanu Singh and Arvind Malhotra. The duo’s names had been recommended by the then High Court Collegium for elevation as judges of the High Court in 2022, but the SC Collegium deferred its consideration. Later, the Law and Justice Ministry urged the HC Chief Justice to make fresh recommendations for the two officers for elevation to the HC bench. The HC Chief Justice made a fresh recommendation for elevation of two new judges all alone inviting SC’s ire in the matter.
While directing the HC Collegium to reconsider the names of two district judges, the SC bench observed that “there was no collective consultation and deliberations by the members of the High Court Collegium.”
The Supreme Court Friday ruled that a High Court Chief Justice cannot individually reconsider a recommendation for a judge’s elevation and that this is something that can only be done by the High Court Collegium acting collectively.
