4 high courts get Chief Justices amid Centre-SC Collegium tussle
What's the story
The Centre appointed Chief Justices (CJs) to the high courts of three states and two union territories, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju announced on Sunday. Gujarat, Assam, and Tripura are among the states which got new CJs, while J&K and Ladakh also got a Chief Justice. The development comes amid a dispute over judicial appointments between the Centre and the Supreme Court Collegium.
Context
Why does this story matter?
The Centre's decision comes amid an ongoing dispute between the government and the judiciary over judge appointments. Rijiju earlier branded the collegium system "opaque" in November, claiming that India is the only country where judges appoint judges. Since 2014, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government has been at odds with the judiciary, which has accused the former of seeking to control judicial appointments.
Details
Gujarat, Assam, Tripura, and J&K HCs get new chief justices
According to the Centre's order, Gujarat High Court senior-most judge Sonia Giridhar Gokani was named its Chief Justice. Rajasthan HC judge Sandeep Mehta was appointed the Chief Justice of the Gauhati HC, while Orissa HC judge Jaswant Singh was elevated as the CJ of the Tripura HC. Gauhati HC Justice N Kotiswar Singh was appointed the CJ of the J&K and Ladakh High Court.
Twitter Post
Take a look at Law Minister Kiren Rijiju's tweet
As per the relevant provisions under the Constitution of India, the following Judges are appointed as Chief Justices of different High Courts.
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) February 12, 2023
I extend best wishes to all of them ! pic.twitter.com/44kst99EPs
Significant
Gujarat High Court gets first woman CJ
Among the four appointments, Gokani's appointment as the Chief Justice of the Gujarat HC is significant as she is reportedly the first woman picked to head this high court. She will serve as the CJ for a fortnight before retiring on February 25. Notably, the Centre named her as Acting Chief Justice on Friday, following former CJ Aravind Kumar's elevation as an SC judge.
Tussle
Faceoff between judiciary and Centre
The tussle between the government and the SC Collegium over judges' appointments has been ongoing for some time. The government isn't satisfied with the existing procedure and wants its representatives in the collegium. Last month, Rijiju also objected to the SC releasing the government's objections and confidential reports by the Research and Analysis Wing (RA&W) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) on collegium-recommended candidates for judges.