A major shake-up for Delhi HC: 6 new judges, collegium shuffle

The Delhi high court is poised for a shakeup in its administrative, judicial, and collegium structure, with the Centre on Monday finally notifying the transfer of six judges to the Delhi high court and appointment of high court’s seniormost judge Vibhu Bakhru as chief justice of Karnataka high court, recommended by the Supreme Court, six weeks ago.

- Shruti Kakkar

The Supreme Court collegium headed by Chief Justice of India Bhushan R Gavai, and comprising justices Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, JK Maheshwari and BV Nagarathna, had on May 26 recommended the transfer of 22 high court judges across the country, appointments of chief justices to five high courts, and shuffling of four incumbent high court chiefs.

The collegium also proposed six judges to be posted to the Delhi high court — justices Nitin Wasudeo Sambre (Bombay HC), Vivek Chaudhary and Om Prakash Shukla (both from Allahabad HC), Anil Kshetarpal (Punjab and Haryana HC), Arun Kumar Monga (Rajasthan HC), and V Kameshwar Rao, who is to be repatriated to Delhi from Karnataka. In addition, justice Vibhu Bakhru—currently the senior most judge after chief justice DK Upadhyay—was recommended as the chief justice of the Karnataka high court.

The reshuffle brings with it not only an influx of new judicial minds from outside Delhi, but also a shift in the court's seniority hierarchy and a reconstitution of its three-member collegium.