In a significant development for the judiciary in northern India, two judicial officers from Haryana have been appointed as Additional Judges of the prestigious Punjab and Haryana High Court. The appointments of Monika Gupta and Sumeet Singh were officially confirmed by a notification issued by the Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice, on behalf of the President of India, Droupadi Murmu.
Official Notification and Appointment Details
The formal announcement was made public on Saturday, May 18, 2024. The notification, bearing the signature of Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla, states that the President appointed the two officers in exercise of the power conferred by clause (1) of Article 224 of the Constitution of India. This constitutional provision deals specifically with the appointment of additional and acting judges to high courts across the country.
The appointments are set to take effect from the date they assume charge of their respective offices. This move is part of the ongoing process to strengthen the bench strength of the high court, ensuring timely justice delivery by addressing the workload and pending cases.
Profiles of the Newly Appointed Judges
Monika Gupta, one of the appointees, has been serving as the District and Sessions Judge in Panchkula, Haryana. Her judicial career and experience at the district level have now been recognized with this elevation to the high court bench. Her tenure in Panchkula involved overseeing significant district-level litigation and administrative responsibilities.
The second appointee, Sumeet Singh, held the position of Registrar General at the Punjab and Haryana High Court itself prior to this appointment. This role is a senior administrative post within the high court registry, providing him with an intimate understanding of the court's functioning, procedures, and challenges. His transition from a key administrative role to a judicial one on the same bench is a notable career progression.
Implications for the Punjab and Haryana High Court
The induction of two new Additional Judges is expected to bolster the judicial strength of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which holds jurisdiction over the Union Territory of Chandigarh and the states of Punjab and Haryana. High courts often face a substantial backlog of cases, and the addition of judges is a critical step towards enhancing the court's capacity to hear and dispose of matters more efficiently.
Appointments of Additional Judges are typically made for a specified period, often two years, after which their performance and the need for a permanent judge are considered. This process allows for the integration of experienced judicial officers from the state cadres into the higher judiciary, bringing with them valuable ground-level experience from the district courts.
The selection and appointment process for judges to the higher judiciary involves recommendations by the Supreme Court Collegium, followed by the approval of the central government and the final warrant of appointment by the President. The successful appointment of Gupta and Singh concludes this rigorous process for them, marking a new chapter in their legal careers.
This development underscores the continuous efforts to maintain an optimal judge-to-population ratio and to ensure that the courts are adequately staffed to uphold the rule of law and provide access to justice for all citizens in the region.
