 |
| Left: Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur. Right: Justice Devendra Upadhyaya |
The Supreme Court Collegium, consisting of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, and Justice Sanjiv Khanna, has recommended the appointment of Justice Devendra Upadhyaya from the Allahabad High Court as the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court. The collegium emphasized that Justice Upadhyaya's eleven years of judicial experience and his appointment would ensure representation from the Allahabad High Court among the Chief Justices.
This recommendation follows the retirement of former Chief Justice RD Dhanuka on 30 May 2023, creating a vacancy in the Bombay High Court. Currently, Justice Nitin Jamdar is serving as the acting Chief Justice. Justice Upadhyaya was appointed as a judge in the Allahabad High Court on November 21, 2011, and is currently the third most senior judge in that court. This appointment adheres to the Memorandum of Procedure, which states that Chief Justices are appointed based on seniority, merit, and integrity, with fair representation from different High Courts.
“He has been functioning there since his elevation and has acquired experience of more than 11 years in dispensing justice in the largest High Court in the country. On appointment of Mr Justice Upadhyaya, the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad which is the largest High Court with a total judge strength of 160 would get adequate representation among the Chief Justices of High Courts…the Collegium is of the considered view that Mr Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya is fit and suitable in all respects for being appointed as Chief Justice of the High Court of Bombay”. - The Recommendation.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the Supreme Court collegium proposed to appoint Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh. The office of the Chief Justice of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh fell vacant on May 19, 2023, after the elevation of Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra to the Supreme Court. Therefore, appointment to that office is required to be made.
He was appointed as a Judge of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir on March 8, 2013, and is now the senior-most Judge in his parent High Court. He was transferred, in the interest of better administration of justice, to the High Court of Bombay in June 2022 and has been functioning there since then.
The recommendation made by the Collegium on February 9, 2023, for his elevation as Chief Justice of the High Court of Manipur has been pending with the government.
0 Comments