Former Punjab & Haryana High Court Judge Justice Anupinder Singh Grewal Appointed As NCLT President

Former Punjab & Haryana High Court Justice Anupinder Singh Grewal has been appointed as the president of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).

“The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs for appointment of Justice (Retd.) Anupinder Singh Grewal, former Judge of the High Court of Punjab & Haryana, to the post of President, National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) in the pay scale of Rs.80,000/- (fixed) (pre-revised), for a period of 05 years w.e.f. the date of assumption of charge of the post, or till attaining the age of 67 years, whichever is earlier,” stated the notification.

Justice Grewal completed his schooling at St. John's High School, Chandigarh, followed by ISC (Class XII) in 1982 from Yadavindra Public School, Patiala. He pursued higher education at St. Stephen's College, Delhi, graduating with a B.A. (Honours) in History in 1985 and completing his M.A. (History) in 1987. He thereafter obtained his LL.B. from the University of Delhi in 1992.

He began his legal practice in 1992 before the Punjab & Haryana High Court. His career in law officers' services commenced with his appointment as Assistant Advocate General, Punjab (10.03.1995–21.04.1997), followed by his tenure as Deputy Advocate General from 13.06.1997. He was re-designated as Senior Deputy Advocate General on 16.04.2002 and served in that capacity until 07.09.2005, when he was appointed Additional Advocate General, Punjab, a position he held until his elevation.

Over a span of more than 19 years, he argued significant cases on behalf of the State of Punjab across diverse fields including civil, constitutional, criminal, service, land acquisition, and public interest litigation.

In November 2007, he was appointed Central Government Counsel for cases before the Punjab & Haryana High Court, representing the Union of India in key matters including Letters Patent Appeals, Central Excise Act cases, arbitration disputes, and writ petitions challenging orders of the Central Administrative Tribunal. He was later designated as Senior Panel Counsel for the Union of India with effect from 30 November 2009, continuing until his elevation, and handled important litigation including challenges to the vires of central statutes and public interest matters.

He was also appointed Amicus Curiae by the High Court in several important cases, notably in Court on its own motion vs State of Punjab and others (2007) 4 RCR 731, which examined the legal effect of judicial officers pronouncing orders without signing or providing detailed reasons.

Apart from court practice, he appeared before forums such as AAFIR, CAT, and arbitration tribunals. Beyond law, he represented Punjab in the Cooch Behar Trophy tournaments conducted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India between 1978 and 1982. He also excelled in golf, recording the best round in the Juris Cup (All India Tournament for Lawyers & Judges) in 2002, 2004, 2005, and 2008.

He was elevated as an Additional Judge of the Punjab & Haryana High Court on 25.09.2014. Shortly thereafter, he was transferred to the Rajasthan High Court on 19.12.2014, where he was sworn in as a permanent Judge on 20.05.2016. He was later transferred back to the Punjab & Haryana High Court and assumed charge on 05.10.2016.