Centre notifies appointment of 6 additional Judges as Permanent Judges of Punjab and Haryana HC

The Union Law and Justice Minister Kiren Rijiju stated that as per the provisions under the Constitution of India, six additional Judges are appointed as permanent Judges of Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The Supreme Court collegium recently recommended their names for appointment as permanent judges.

The Collegium headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud took the decision for recommending the additional judges of the High Court for a permanent judgeship on April 17.

The additional judges are Justices Vikas Bahl, Vikas Suri, Sandeep Moudgil, Vinod Sharma (Bhardwaj), Pankaj Jain and Jasjit Singh Bedi.

The collegium, which also includes Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and KM Joseph, said that since the current two-year term of one of the additional judges is due to expire on May 24, the recommendation may be processed expeditiously by the Centre.

The Collegium of Punjab and Haryana High Court had on December 19, 2022, unanimously recommended that the additional judges be appointed as permanent judges of that High Court.

The recommendation, which has the concurrence of the Chief Ministers and the Governors of the states of Punjab and Haryana, has been received from the Department of Justice on April 13, 2023, the Collegium of the top court read.

The resolution of the Collegium stated that in terms of the Memorandum of Procedure, Judges of the Supreme Court who are conversant with the functioning of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana were consulted with a view to ascertaining the suitability of the above Judges for being appointed as Permanent Judges.

"The committee constituted in terms of the resolution dated October 26, 2017, of the Supreme Court Collegium to evaluate the judgments of the above-named additional judges, has submitted its report. The Judgment Evaluation Committee consisting of two judges of the Supreme Court has noted the judgments of the candidates as 'very good' (serial nos. i, v and vi), 'good' (serial nos. ii & iii) and 'outstanding' (serial no. iv)," read the resolution.

With a view to assess the merit and suitability of the above additional judges for appointment as permanent judges, we have scrutinised the material placed on record including the observations made by the Department of Justice and the complaints placed before us, it said.

"On an overall consideration of the above proposal, the collegium is of the view that Shri Justices (i) Vikas Bahl, (ii) Vikas Suri, (iii) Sandeep Moudgil, (iv) Vinod Sharma (Bhardwaj), (v) Pankaj Jain, and (vi) Jasjit Singh Bedi, Additional Judges, are fit and suitable for being appointed as Permanent Judges," it said.

Since the current two-year term of one of the additional judges is due to expire on May 24, 2023, the above recommendation may be processed expeditiously, the apex court Collegium added. (ANI)