3 advocates elevated as Additional Judges

Chandigarh: The President today appointed advocates Sumeet Goel, Sudeepti Sharma and Kirti Singh as Additional Judges of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court Collegium today recommended the name of Justice Ritu Bahri, who is Acting Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, for appointment as the Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court.

“At present, there is only one woman Chief Justice and her elevation would enhance the representation of women among the Chief Justices of the high courts,” the SC Collegium observed, adding that it was of the considered view that Justice Bahri was fit and suitable in all respects for being appointed as the Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court.

The SC Collegium had just about a fortnight back recommended the names of five advocates for elevation as the Punjab and Haryana High Court judges. But two advocates, initially recommended, were not there in the list of those elevated. In all, nine names were recommended for elevation by the HC Collegium, comprising the then Chief Justice and two senior-most judges.

But the crisis in the high court will continue following the shortage of 32 judges and a pendency of more than 4 lakh cases. The high court as of now has 53 judges against the sanctioned strength of 85. Available information suggests nine judges are to be elevated from the category of District and Sessions Judges. But the appointments are likely to take time.

The process of appointing judges is lengthy and time consuming. Once cleared by the states and the governors after recommendation by the HC Collegium, the file containing the names with Intelligence Bureau reports is placed before the Supreme Court Collegium when it meets. The names cleared for elevation are then sent to the Union Law Ministry before their warrants of appointment are signed by the President. The entire exercise can take several months, if not taken up on priority basis.