The Supreme Court Collegium on Wednesday recommended the appointment of Chief Justices of five High Courts. The five high courts for which the Collegium in its meeting on April 19, headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, also comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and K M Joseph, proposed new chief justices are: Bombay High Court, Kerala High Court, Rajsathan High Court, Himachal Pradesh High Court and Madras High Court.
The Collegium recommended the name of Justice RD Dhanuka as the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court.
It noted that the office of the Chief Justice of the High Court of Bombay has been lying vacant for quite some time after the elevation of Justice Dipankar Datta to the Supreme Court. Justice Ramesh D Dhanuka was appointed as a Judge of the High Court of Bombay on Jan. 23, 2012 and is due to demit office on May 30, 2023.
Justice SV Bhatti, senior most judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, was recommended for the appointment as Chief Justice of Kerala High Court.
The Collegium noted that the office of the Chief Justice of Kerala High Court is going to fall
vacant soon, consequent upon the retirement of Justice S Manikumar and Justice Bhatti is the senior-most Judge.
The Collegium recommended the appointment of Punjab and Haryana High Court judge, Justice Augustine George Masih, as the Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court.
The Collegium noted that the office of the Chief Justice of the Rajasthan HC fell vacant recently due to the elevation of Justice Pankaj Mithal to the Supreme Court, and proposed the name of Punjab & Haryana HC judge Justice Augustine George Masih as the next CJ of Rajasthan HC.
The Collegium said in its recommendation that Justice Masih was appointed as a Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on July 10, 2008 and he has acquired experience of dispensing justice in a High Court having jurisdiction over two states. He is the senior most puisne judge in his parent HC which presently has no representation among the Chief Justices of the High Courts.
Further, the Collegium recommended the name of Justice MS Ramachandra Rao, senior-most judge of the Telangana High Court, to become the Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court. Justice Rao was appointed as a Judge of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh on June 29, 2012.
The Collegium noted that Justice Rao is the senior-most among puisne judges originating from the High Court for the State of Telangana and the State of Telangana has no representation among Chief Justices of the High Courts. Justice M S Ramachandra Rao has acquired experience of dispensing justice in two High Courts. Having regard to all relevant factors, the Collegium is of the considered view that he is suitable in all respects for being appointed as Chief Justice of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh.
The Collegium also proposed the appointment of Acting Chief Jiustice of Bombay High Court Justice SV Gangapurwala as the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court.
