Government Announces Appointment of 4 Lawyers as Judges of Rajasthan High Court
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Synopsis
The government has announced the appointment of four judges to the Rajasthan High Court, despite the Supreme Court Collegium's recommendation for seven advocates. This decision raises questions about the Centre's selective approach to judicial appointments.
Key Takeaways
- The Centre appointed four judges to the Rajasthan High Court.
- The Supreme Court Collegium initially recommended seven advocates for elevation.
- Concerns were raised about the government's selective approach to judicial appointments.
- The appointments are effective upon the judges assuming office.
- Other judicial appointments were also made in Punjab and Haryana and Chhattisgarh.
New Delhi, Mar 26 (NationPress) The government officially announced the appointment of four judges to the Rajasthan High Court on Wednesday, despite the fact that the Supreme Court Collegium had initially endorsed the elevation of seven advocates to the Bench.
"In accordance with the authority granted by clause (1) of Article 217 of the Constitution of India, the President has joyfully appointed S/Shri (i) Anand Sharma, (ii) Sunil Beniwal, (iii) Mukesh Rajpurohit, and (iv) Sandeep Shah as Judges of the Rajasthan High Court, in that order of seniority, effective upon their assumption of office,” stated the notification released by the Union Ministry of Law and Justice.
The Supreme Court Collegium, during its meeting on March 5, had recommended the promotion of seven advocates to the position of judges in the Rajasthan High Court.
According to a statement published on the apex court's website, "The Supreme Court Collegium during its meeting on 05th March, 2025 approved the proposal for the appointment of the following Advocates as Judges of the Rajasthan High Court: (i) Shri Anand Sharma, (ii) Shri Sunil Beniwal, (iii) Shri Sandeep Taneja, (iv) Shri Mukesh Rajpurohit, (v) Shri Sandeep Shah, (vi) Shri Baljinder Singh Sandhu, and (vii) Ms. Sheetal Mirdha."
However, action on the proposal to elevate advocates Taneja, Sandhu, and Mirdha is still pending with the government.
Earlier that day, the Union government had also announced the appointment of three permanent judges to the Punjab and Haryana High Court and extended the terms of three additional judges of the Chhattisgarh High Court for one year based on recommendations from the apex court Collegium.
In November 2023, the Supreme Court remarked that the government's selective 'pick and choose' policy regarding judicial appointments in the higher judiciary "does not send a positive signal."
A bench led by Justice S.K. Kaul (now retired) stated that if a candidate is unaware of their seniority upon becoming a judge, it becomes challenging to attract other eligible and deserving candidates.
Previously, the top court had cautioned the government about the potential for "an unpalatable order" if it continued to delay and maintain its selective 'pick and choose' strategy regarding the notification or transfer of judges after recommendations from the SC Collegium. This practice creates significant anomalies in the system and disrupts inter-se seniority.
