Appointment Of Manipur High Court Chief Justice Will Be Notified Soon : Centre Tells Supreme Court

Two weeks after the Supreme Court expressed concerns over the central government's delay in notifying Delhi High Court judge Siddharth Mridul's elevation as the chief justice of the Manipur High Court, the Centre has assured the court that his file has been 'cleared' and the notification will be issued shortly. A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia was hearing a petition filed by the Advocates Association of Bengaluru seeking contempt action against the Union Ministry of Law and Justice for not adhering to the timeline set by the Court in a 2021 judgment for clearing collegium proposals. A writ petition filed by the non-governmental organisation (NGO) Common Cause raising the issue of delay in judicial appointments was also listed along with the contempt petition.The bench today recorded in its order the central government's assurance that Justice Mridul's appointment will be notified soon. Justice Kaul pronounced, "As far as the appointment of the chief justice of a high court, which has been pending for a considerable time, and that too, for a sensitive state, it is submitted that the file has been cleared, and the notification will be issued shortly."Pausing in the middle of his dictation, the judge sternly told Attorney-General for India R Venkataramani, "By next date, I want this to be done. Don't make me...I'm being very polite. Let me be polite."On the last occasion, while reiterating its objection to the government's non-compliance with the prescribed timeline, the bench alluded to the Manipur High Court where the chief justice position has been lying vacant since February, despite the apex court's collegium recommending Justice Mridul's name in July. Justice Kaul remonstrated with the attorney-general over the government sitting over the collegium's recommendation, referring to the Manipur High Court as a 'sensitive high court'. Since May, the northeastern state has been in the grips of a prolonged and violent ethnic clash that has required the court's intervention at crucial moments. Currently, Justice MV Muralidaran is serving as Manipur High Court's acting chief justice.On July 6, 2023, the Supreme Court collegium, comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sanjiv Khanna, proposed the appointment of Delhi High Court judge Siddharth Mridul as the chief justice of the Manipur High Court. This recommendation followed a previous one made on February 9 for Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur to be appointed to the position, after the last chief justice, PV Sanjay Kumar, was elevated to the Supreme Court. At the time when the collegium recommended Justice Mridul's promotion, Justice Thakur's recommendation was still pending with the union government. Consequently, the collegium recommended Justice Thakur for the position of Andhra Pradesh High Court's chief justice, necessitating a fresh recommendation for the Manipur High Court. Despite the passage of almost three months, Justice Mridul's name has still not been cleared by the Centre.Case TitleAdvocates Association Bengaluru v. Barun Mitra And Anr. | Contempt Petition (Civil) No. 867 of 2021 in Transfer Petition (Civil) No. 2419 of 2019

Appointment Of Manipur High Court Chief Justice Will Be Notified Soon : Centre Tells Supreme Court

Awstika Das

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