Justice Manmohan became the Acting Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court on November 9, 2023 and was appointed Chief Justice on September 29, 2024.
The Supreme Court Collegium on Thursday recommended the promotion of Delhi High Court Chief Justice Manmohan. He ranks second in the All India Seniority List and is the senior most judge of the Delhi High Court. Out of the total 34 posts of judges in the Supreme Court, 2 posts are still vacant. This was the first collegium meeting of Supreme Court Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna. Besides the Chief Justice, the collegium comprises Justice BR Gavai, Justice Suryakant, Justice Hrishikesh Roy and Justice AS Oka.
This picture is dated September 29, 2024, when Justice Manmohan was sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court. He is accompanied by Lt. Governor VK Saxena.
Justice Manmohan is the son of former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Jagmohan Justice Manmohan was born on December 17, 1962 in Delhi. He is the son of former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir and former Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Jagmohan Malhotra. Justice Manmohan holds a BA (Hons) degree in History from Hindu College. He did his LLB in 1987 from the Law Center of Delhi University.
He started his career by practicing law in Supreme Court and Delhi High Court. During this time, he advocated in civil, criminal, constitutional, taxation, trademark and service cases. These include high profile cases like Dabhol Power Company, Hyderabad Nizam Jewelery Trust, Claridge Hotel dispute, Modi family, Gujarat Ambuja Cement Sales Tax case and Fatehpur Sikri encroachment.
Justice Manmohan has also served as a Senior Panel Advocate for the Government of India in both the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court. He was appointed as a Senior Advocate by the Delhi High Court in 2003.
Justice Manmohan was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Delhi High Court in March 2008 and was promoted as a Permanent Judge in December 2009. He became the Acting Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court on November 9, 2023 and was appointed Chief Justice on September 29, 2024.
Collegium system for making Supreme Court-High Court Judges
There is a fixed procedure for the selection of High Court and Supreme Court judges, called the Supreme Court Collegium. The most senior judges of the Supreme Court participate in it. The Center accepts its recommendations and appoints a new CJI and other judges.
According to tradition, the most senior judge in the Supreme Court, based on experience, becomes the Chief Justice. This process is done under a memorandum called MoP which stands for “Memorandum of Procedure for the Appointment of Supreme Court''.
MoP was prepared for the first time in the year 1999. This document lays down the responsibilities of the Centre, the Supreme Court and the High Court in the process of appointment of judges. No requirement or law has been made in the constitution regarding the MOP and collegium system, but judges are appointed under it. However, even before the MoP was drafted in 1999, there was a tradition of making the senior-most judge after the CJI the CJI.
In 2015, a constitutional amendment created the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) to enhance the Centre's role in the appointment of judges, but the Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional. After this, the talks continued on the MoP. Last year too, the central government had said that the MoP has not yet been finalised.
Justice Sanjiv Khanna became the 51st Chief Justice of the country
President Draupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to Justice Sanjeev Khanna as the Chief Justice on November 11.
Justice Sanjiv Khanna became the 51st Chief Justice of the country on November 11. President Draupadi Murmu administered the oath to him at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud retired on 10 November.
Justice Khanna's tenure is only 6 months. Justice Khanna, 64, will retire on May 13, 2025. As a judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Khanna has written 65 judgments. Meanwhile, he has been involved in about 275 benches.
Justice Sanjeev's uncle Justice Hansraj Khanna was also a judge in the Supreme Court. However, despite being senior, he was not made Chief Justice due to the Indira government's opposition to the Emergency.
Justice MH Baig was made CJI in his place. In opposition to this, Justice Hansraj had resigned from the post of judge of the Supreme Court.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
