SC collegium recommends five names for judgeship in four HCs

New Delhi: The Supreme Court collegium headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud has recommended five names to the Centre for appointment as additional judges in four high courts.

The collegiums, also comprising justices Sanjiv Khanna and B R Gavai, also recommended the names of additional judges -- justices Rahul Bharti and Moksha Khajuria Kazmi, both from the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court, for appointment as permanent judges.

One of the recommendations said additional judge Justice Abhay Ahuja be also considered for appointment as permanent judge in the Bombay High Court.

Several collegiums resolutions, uploaded Thursday night on apex court website, provided details of the deliberations leading to recommendations of names of judicial officers and advocates for judgeship in high courts.

“The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended the name of Smt. Chaitali Chatterjee (Das), Judicial Officer, for appointment as Judge of the High Court at Calcutta in the following terms...,” one of the resolutions said.

It also forwarded the names of Arvind Kumar Verma, a judicial officer, for appointment as a judge of the High Court of Chhattisgarh.

Another resolution asked the Centre to consider appointing Rohit Kapoor, an advocate, as a judge of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana.

“The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended the names of (i) Ms Shamima Jahan, Advocate and (ii) Ms Yarenjungla Longkumer, Judicial Officer, for appointment as Judges of the Gauhati High Court...,” it said.

While making the recommendations, the apex court collegiums made clear that the seniority of those, whose names were recommended prior to Kapoor for appointment as judges of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana, be not disturbed.

“The Collegium further resolves to recommend that two advocates namely S/Shri (i) Harmeet Singh Grewal and (ii) Deepinder Singh Nalwa, whose names have been approved by this Collegium earlier in point of time i.e. on 17 October 2023, be given precedence in the matter of appointment over Shri Rohit Kapoor. The inter se seniority of all the three Advocates be fixed as per the existing practice,” it said.

The collegiums took assistance of consultee apex court judges besides considering the inputs of respective governments and the professional competence of persons before recommending the names for judgeship.