The High Court Bar Association of Manipur (HCBAM) has urged the Chief Justice of India (CJI) to reconsider and recall a recommendation by the High Court Collegium to elevate a Judicial Officer to High Court Judge, stating that the appointment would further disrupt the conventional Bar-Bench quota.

In a representation dated September 9, 2026, the Association referred to its earlier representation dated August 27 and said that the two existing vacancies in the High Court were required to be filled from the Bar in order to maintain the 66⅔:33⅓ proportion between members of the Bar and Judicial Officers contemplated under the Memorandum of Procedure (MOP).

The Association said it had learnt that the two vacancies, which it claims are meant for the Bar under the existing roster, could be compromised if a Judicial Officer was appointed against one of them.

According to the representation, since Manipur became a full-fledged High Court in March 2013, three judges i.e., Justice N. Kotiswar Singh, Justice Kh. Nobin Singh and Justice A. Bimol Singh were elevated from the Bar, while Justice T. Serto, Justice Aribam Guneshwar Sharma and Justice Gaiphulshillu Golmei came from the Judicial Officers' cadre.

The Association contends that this has resulted in the present Bar-Bench ratio being 50:50, instead of the 66⅔:33⅓ proportion referred to in the MOP.

It stated that if even one of the two existing vacancies were filled by a Judicial Officer, "the quota of the Bar will be seriously affected."

“If again, one of the two present existing vacancies of Judge of our High Court Manipur is going to be filled up from the Bench/Judicial Officers then the quota of the Bar will be seriously affected and is not in the interest of the Bar at large besides in total contradiction of the MOP.”, the representation stated.

The Bar Council of Manipur had also raised the same issue before the Chief Justice of India in its representation dated August 25, 2026.

Click here to read representation