Centre Appoints 8 New Chief Justices Across High Courts in India
Ambitious Baba
Centre Appoints 8 New Chief Justices Across High Courts in India
Centre Appoints 8 New Chief Justices Across High Courts in India
Introduction
- Appointment Date: The Central Government notified the appointment of eight new Chief Justices for different High Courts on September 5, 2026, after the Supreme Court Collegium recommended their names.
- Major Development: The eight appointments are for the Patna, Calcutta, Rajasthan, Bombay, Punjab and Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Courts. These appointments bring new permanent heads to these important High Courts.
- Full Leadership: With these eight appointments, all 25 High Courts in India now have regular Chief Justices. Before these appointments, seven of the 25 High Courts were working under Acting Chief Justices instead of regular Chief Justices.
- Constitutional Power: The appointments were made by the President of India under the powers given by the Constitution and after consultation with the Chief Justice of India. Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal announced the appointments on September 5, 2026.
Eight New Appointments
- Patna High Court: Justice Valluri Kameswar Rao, who was a judge of the Delhi High Court, has been appointed as the new Chief Justice of the Patna High Court. His appointment is part of the Centre’s September 5 notification covering eight High Courts.
- Calcutta High Court: Justice Ravindra V. Ghuge of the Bombay High Court has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court. He was serving as a judge of the Bombay High Court before this appointment.
- Rajasthan High Court: Justice Sanjay Kumar Agrawal of the Chhattisgarh High Court has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court. He had been performing the duties of Chief Justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court before his new appointment.
- Bombay High Court: Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi of the Allahabad High Court has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court. His elevation to the post had earlier been recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium.
- Punjab & Haryana: Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra, who was a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the same High Court. His appointment has also become a matter of discussion because of objections raised later by the Punjab government.
- Chhattisgarh High Court: Justice Krushna Ram Mohapatra of the Orissa High Court has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court. His appointment followed the retirement of the previous Chief Justice of that court.
- Madhya Pradesh: Justice Alpesh Yeshvant Kogje of the Gujarat High Court has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court. His name was recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium before the final appointment was notified.
- J&K and Ladakh: Justice Pushpendra Singh Bhati of the Rajasthan High Court has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. His appointment is also among the eight appointments notified by the Centre on September 5, 2026.
Collegium Recommendation
- Collegium Role: The appointments were based on recommendations of the Supreme Court Collegium. The Collegium made recommendations for the eight posts in August 2026, including recommendations made on August 9 and August 31.
- Presidential Appointment: After the recommendations of the Supreme Court Collegium, the appointments were formally made by the President of India. The Central Government then issued the official notification on September 5, 2026.
- CJI Consultation: The appointment notification stated that the President appointed the judges as Chief Justices in consultation with the Chief Justice of India. This is part of the constitutional process for appointing High Court Chief Justices.
- Minister Announcement: Union Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal announced the appointments on September 5, 2026. He shared the information through a post on X and stated that the President had made the appointments under the powers given by the Constitution.
Importance of Appointments
- Permanent Leadership: The most important result of these appointments is that all 25 High Courts in India now have regular Chief Justices. This ends the situation in which several High Courts were being headed by Acting Chief Justices for a period of time.
- Court Administration: A regular Chief Justice provides permanent leadership to a High Court and plays an important role in its administrative and judicial functioning. Having a regular head can help the court work in a more stable and organised manner.
- Judicial Continuity: The appointments bring regular leadership to several important High Courts, including the Bombay, Calcutta, Patna, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana, and Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Courts. This provides continuity in the leadership of these courts.
- Vacancy Reduction: The decision also fills the remaining Chief Justice vacancies in the High Courts. Four of the earlier vacancies had come after Chief Justices were elevated to the Supreme Court in June 2026, while other vacancies developed because of retirements and changes in the courts.
Rajasthan Development
- Leadership Change: Justice Sanjay Kumar Agrawal has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court after serving as a judge of the Chhattisgarh High Court. He had also been performing the duties of Chief Justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court after the retirement of its previous Chief Justice on September 4, 2026.
- Earlier Concerns: The appointment came at a time when there were concerns about the functioning of the Rajasthan High Court under Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma. Supreme Court judge Justice Sandeep Mehta had raised concerns through letters to the Chief Justice of India and the Supreme Court Collegium, and the matter had received attention within the judiciary.
- Fresh Leadership: The appointment of Justice Sanjay Kumar Agrawal gives the Rajasthan High Court a regular Chief Justice. It is also part of the wider decision through which the Centre appointed Chief Justices to eight High Courts across India.
Punjab Controversy
- New Appointment: Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. He had been serving as a judge of the same High Court before being appointed to head it.
- State Objection: The Punjab government objected to the appointment, saying that its consent was not taken before the Centre issued the appointment notification. The Punjab Cabinet later passed a resolution raising its objection to the appointment process.
- Procedure Debate: The Punjab government’s objection has brought attention to the question of consultation between the Centre and state governments in judicial appointments. The issue has also led to wider discussion about the role of the Supreme Court Collegium and the constitutional process followed for appointing High Court Chief Justices.
Important Questions
- Which eight High Courts in India received new Chief Justices through the Central Government’s September 5, 2026 appointment notification?
- How did the appointment of eight Chief Justices on September 5, 2026 result in all 25 High Courts of India having regular Chief Justices?
- Who are the eight judges appointed as Chief Justices of the Patna, Calcutta, Rajasthan, Bombay, Punjab and Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Courts?
- What role did the Supreme Court Collegium play in recommending the eight Chief Justices appointed by the Centre in September 2026?
- Why did the Punjab government object to the appointment of Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra as the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court?
Conclusion
The appointment of eight Chief Justices is an important development for India’s judicial system. With these appointments, all 25 High Courts in the country now have regular Chief Justices, providing permanent leadership to courts that had been functioning under Acting Chief Justices. The decision also shows the role of the Supreme Court Collegium and the constitutional appointment process in choosing the heads of High Courts. At the same time, the developments in Rajasthan and the objection raised by the Punjab government over the appointment of Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra show that judicial appointments can also lead to important institutional discussions. Overall, these appointments are expected to provide greater stability, continuity and leadership to the High Courts across India.
Download Online Mock Test Mobile APP
The post Centre Appoints 8 New Chief Justices Across High Courts in India appeared first on Ambitious Baba.