Centre Notifies Appointment Of New Chief Justices To 2 High Courts, Transfer Of One CJ To Another HC
LIVELAW NEWS NETWORK
1 Jan 2026 10:13 PM IST
Acting on the recommendations made by the Supreme Court Collegium last month, the Central Government today notified the appointment of two High Court Judges as Chief Justices of different HCs. A transfer of one Chief Justice has also been notified today.
- Justice Soumen Sen, currently the Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court, has been transferred to the Kerala High Court. This transfer will take effect consequent to the retirement of the incumbent Chief Justice on January 9, 2026.
- Justice Revati P Mohite Dere, a Judge of the Bombay High Court, has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court. Her appointment follows the transfer of Justice Soumen Sen.
- Justice Sangam Kumar Sahoo, a Judge of the Orissa High Court, has been elevated and appointed as the Chief Justice of the Patna High Court.
Pending recommendations
The Supreme Court Collegium had initially recommended six names for elevation and transfer on December 18. With today's notification, the elevation of the following three judges remain pending with the centre:
Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta (Allahabad High Court) has been recommended for appointment as Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court. The post is scheduled to arise following the retirement of the incumbent Chief Justice on January 9.
Justice MS Sonak (Bombay High Court) has been recommended for elevation as the Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court. This post will fall vacant on January 8.
The Collegium has also recommended Justice A Muhamed Mustaque (Kerala High Court) for appointment as the Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court.
Click Here To Read/Download Notifications
SC Collegium's Statement on appointment of new HC CJs. [3 names still pending out of 5]
SC Collegium's Statement on transfer of CJ [The single name has been cleared by the Centre today]