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Former Hon'ble Chief Justices

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Hon'ble Mr. Justice Ashok A. Desai ( Founder Chief Justice ):- Started practice as Advocate in High Court, Nagpur in 1970. Elected as General Secretary of the Nagpur Bar Association in 1978. Was Honorary Lecturer, University College of Law, Nagpur during 1978-80. Was President of Nagpur Bar Association. Was Assistant Government Pleader, High Court, Nagpur between 1980-86. Elected on Nagpur University Senate from Law Graduates’ Constituency in 1982. Was member of the Maharashtra Bar Council. Elevated as a Judge, High Court of Judicature at Bombay in 1986. Elelcted as Member of Governing Council of Indian Law Institute, New Delhi from the Constituency of Judges of High Courts and Supreme Court in India in 1989. Was Member of Editorial Committee for Journal of Indian Law Institute, New Delhi. Was Member, Advisory Board, Centre for Corporate Research and Training, set up by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India, New Delhi. Was Member, Legal Education Committee, Bar Council of India. Elected for the fourth time as a Member of Governing Council, Indian Law Institute, New Delhi, from the Constituency of Judges of Supreme Court and High Courts. Appointed as Acting Chief Justice of High Court of Uttarakhand at Nainital on 09/11/2000. His Lordship was appointed as the Chief Justice of High Court of Uttarakhand on 06/12/2000 and held  the office till 31/03/2003 before the demitting his office as Chief Justice.

Hon'ble Mr. Justice S.H. Kapadia:- Born on  29th September, 1947. Enrolled as an Advocate on 10th September, 1974.  Practised in the Bombay High Court, both on the Original Side and Appellate Side in Suits, Letters Patent Appeals, Writs, matters under Negotiable Instruments Act, Detention Matters, matters under Bombay Rent Act, matters under Bombay Municipal Corporation Act including trials concerning fixation of rateable value, matters under Maharashtra Land Revenue Code including trials concerning valuation of properties for the purposes of fixation of NA assessments, challenge to the validity of notifications fixing Standard Rent, appeared in AOs, First Appeals under the BMC Act, Second Appeals as also in Land Acquisition References under the Land Acquisition Act as also in matters under  Bombay Land Requisition and Acquisition Act.  This is apart from the practice in Industrial Law and Services Matters. Appeared as a Counsel for the Department in Income-tax matters. Appeared as a Counsel for BMC in matters concerning rateable value and Octroi. Appeared  as a Counsel for Bharat Petroleum Corporation and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation in High Court and Supreme Court in connection with service matters including disputes concerning framing of Pension Rules.  Also appeared for the Management and Unions in matters under Industrial Dispute Act, 1947 and ULP Act, 1972.

Appointed as an Additional Judge of the Bombay High Court, on 8th October, 1991.  Appointed as a Permanent Judge of  the Bombay High Court on 23rd March 1993.  Appointed as a judge of the Special Court (Trial of Offences  Relating to Transactions in Securities) Act, 1992 on 15th October, 1999. During the above period, decided important matters under PIL pertaining to CRZ, financial matters under RBI and Banking Regulation Acts; matters concerning the Constitutional validity of the 74th Amendment Act of 1992 dealing with Municipalities; matters under The Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators ( Forfeiture of Property) Act, 1976; matters concerning Mergers and Acquisitions; matters under Payment of Bonus Act; matters under Industrial Disputes Act.  In addition to the above, dealt with matters under the Income-tax Act concerning Valuation of closing stocks, Accounting treatment to be given to Modvat Credit, Convergence of Tax Accounting with Commercial Accounting, etc.

As a Judge presiding over the Special Court has dealt with Civil and Criminal matters including matters concerning corroborative value to be given to the Reports submitted by RBI and JPC vis-a-vis Evidence Act. As a judge of the Special Court, has also dealt with Accounts and Finances of Banks and Financial Institutions as also accounts of the Share and Stock Brokers as also matters under Contempt of Courts Act where the Notified Parties had diverted their assets.  As a Judge of the Special Court has framed Investment Schemes, Schemes dealing with Valuation and Disposal of Shares of Notified Parties as also Distribution of assets of the Notified Parties under the Act and declaring dividends to the Creditors of the Notified Parties .

His Lordship was appointed as the Chief Justice of High Court  of Uttarakhand on 05.08.2003.

His Lordship was elevated to the Bench of Supreme Court of India on 18.12.2003.  On 12/05/2010 His Lordship was appointed as the Chief Justice of India and held the office till 28/09/2012.

Hon'ble Mr. Justice V.S.Sirpurkar:- Born on 22^nd August, 1946. Hailing from a Lawyers’ family- Father, Mother, Wife, Son, Daughter-in-law and brothers are all Lawyers. Matriculated from Chandrapur District of Maharashtra, topping in the District.  Completed graduation from Morris College, Nagpur in 1966. Completed Law Degree from the University College of Law, Nagpur. Practised at Nagpur in the High Court on constitutional and criminal sides.Was elected as a Joint Secretary and Secretary of the High Court Bar Association, Nagpur.  Was also elected as a Member of Maharashtra Bar Council twice; i.e. in the year 1985 and 1991. Elevated as a Judge of the Bombay High Court in 1992. Transferred to the Madras High Court in December 1997 where as Senior Judge also held the post of “Executive Chairman” of the Tamil Nadu State Legal Services Authority.Life Member of the World Wild Life Fund.Elevated as Chief Justice, High Court of Uttarakhand vide notification dated 16^th July, 2004 and held the Office of Chief Justice, High Court of Uttarakhand w.e.f. 25^th July, 2004.Co-opted as a Member to the Legal Education Committee of the Bar Council of India, New Delhi.Serving as a Member of the Governing Council of the Indian Law Institute, New Delhi from the Judges’ Constituency. Transferred to High Court of Calcutta on 20/03/2005 as Chief Justice. Elevated to Supreme Court on 12/01/2007.

Hon'ble Mr. Justice Cyriac Joseph:- Born on 28.01.1947. Enrolled as Advocate on 12.10.1968. Practiced in the High Court of Kerala at Ernakulam since the date of enrolment. Worked as Government Pleader from 1976 to 1979 and as Liaison Officer / Senior Government Pleader from 1979 to 1987. Served as Additional Advocate General, Kerala from 06.07.1991 to 05.07.1994. Appointed as permanent Judge of the High Court of Kerala w.e.f  06.07.1994. Transferred to Delhi High Court w.e.f  05.08.1994. Transferred back to High Court of Kerala w.e.f  24.09.2001. Served as Acting Chief Justice for one day on 07-06-2002.  Served as Acting Chief Justice from 02.10.2002 (F.N) to 01.11.2002. Served as Acting Chief Justice from 18-11-2004 (F.N) to 20.11.2004. Serving as Acting Chief Justice from 02-03-2005 (A.N). Appointed as Chief Justice of High Court of Uttarakhand at Nainital on 20.03.2005. Transferred to Karnataka High Court on 04/01/2006 as Chief Justice. On appointment as Judge of the Supreme Court of India, assumed office as Judge, Supreme Court on July 7, 2008.

Hon'ble Mr. Justice Rajeev Gupta :- Born at Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh on 10-10-1950. Took B.A and LL.B Degrees from Jiwaji University, Gwalior. Started practice in Madhya Pradesh High Court from November 1973 and continued till 1994. Appointed as Judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in September 1994. Assumed charge as Chief Justice of Kerala High Court on 27-04-2005. Transferred to High Court of Uttarakhand at Nainital and assumed charge on 14/01/2006 as Chief Justice. Transferred to Chhattisgarh High Court on 02/02/2008 as Chief Justice. 

Hon'ble Mr. Justice Vinod Kumar Gupta :- Born on 10^th Sept, 1947. Had early Education in Uttar Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. Did LL.B from Delhi University. Enrolled as an Advocate with Delhi Bar Council on 23^rd of July, 1970 and practiced on original and appellate side of the Jammu & Kashmir High Court. Served as Advocate General Jammu & Kashmir. Was visiting lecturer in the Faculty of Law, University of Jammu. Was actively associated with Bar Activities  and held the offices of President, Vice President and Secretary of Bar Association. Designated as Senior Advocate in 1990. Elevated permanent Judge of Jammu & Kashmir High Court on November 07,1990. His Lordship was transferred to Calcutta High Court May 06, 1996. Was appointed Acting Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court on November 15,2000 and as the Chief Justice on December 05,2000. His Lordship was transferred as Chief Justice of Himanchal Pradesh High Court on March 08, 2003. Assumed the charge of the Chief Justice of High Court of Uttarakhand, Nainital on February 02,2008. Retired on 09.09.2009.

Hon'ble Mr. Justice J. S. Khehar :- His Lordship was born on August 28, 1952. After graduating in science from Govt. College, Chandigarh in 1974, His Lordship was awarded the LL.B degree by the Panjab University, Chandigarh in 1977, he then acquired the LL.M. qualification from the same University in 1979, for the latter qualification, His Lordship was awarded the Gold Medal for having stood first in the University.

His Lordship was enrolled as an Advocate in 1979 and practiced mainly in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh High Court, Shimla and the Supreme Court of India, New Delhi. His Lordship was appointed as Additional Advocate General, Punjab in January 1992, and then as Senior Standing Counsel, Union Territory, Chandigarh. His Lordship was designated as Senior Advocate in February, 1995. His Lordship remained standing counsel for Universities of the area, Corporate Bodies and a large number of companies and cooperative organizations.

His Lordship appeared as counsel for Mr. M. Krishnaswamy, M.P. (from the Arani constituency in Tamil Nadu), in the defence of Mr. Justice V. Ramaswami, then Judge of the Supreme Court of India, before the Judges Inquiry Committee (comprising of Mr. Justice P.B. Sawant, then Judge Supreme Court of India; Chief Jutice Mr. P.D. Desai of the Bombay High Court; and Mr. Justice O. Chinnappa Reddy, former Judge of the Supreme Court of India) constituted to investigate the grounds on which the removal of Justice V. Ramaswami was sought.

His Lordship was elevated to the Bench of High Court of Punjab and Haryana, at Chandigarh, on February 8, 1999. His Lordship was appointed as Acting Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court twice i.e., with effect from August 02, 2008, and again, with effect from November 17, 2009. His Lordship was elevated as Chief Justice of the High Court of Uttarakhand, at Nainital, on November 29, 2009.

Transferred to High Court of Karnataka on 08/08/2010 as Chief Justice.

His Lordship was elevated to Supreme Court of India where he assumed the Office of  Judge, Supreme Court on September 13, 2011. Thereafter on 04.01.2017 His Lordship was appointed as The Chief Justice of India. His Lordship held the office of Chief Justice of India till August 27, 2017 before retiring from the services.

 

 

Hon’ble Mr. Justice Barin Ghosh ( B.Com., LL.B ):- was born on June 05, 1952. He was enrolled as an Advocate on December 19, 1978, and practised in the High Court of Calcutta mainly in matters of Civil, Company and Constitutional Affairs. He was appointed as a Permanent Judge of the Calcutta High Court on July 14, 1995. He was transferred to the Patna High Court, where he assumed Charge on January 07, 2005. He was appointed as the Chief Justice of Jammu & Kashmir High Court on December 24, 2008 and took over as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir on January 03, 2009. On transfer to the High Court of Sikkim he took oath on April 13, 2010 as Chief Justice of the High Court of Sikkim. Transferred to High Court of Uttarakhand at Nainital and assumed charge on 12/08/2010 as Chief Justice of the High Court of Uttarakhand. Retired on 04/06/2014.

 

 

Hon'ble Mr. Justice K. M. Joseph :- Born on 17/6/1958. Educated at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Kochi and New Delhi, Loyola College, Chennai and Govt. Law College, Ernakulam. Enrolled as Advocate on 12/01/1982 in Delhi and started practice in Civil and Writ matters. Practised at the High Court of Kerala from 1983. Permanent Member of Kerala High Court Advocates Association. Appointed as Permanent Judge of the High Court of Kerala on 14/10/2004. Transferred to High Court of Uttarakhand and assumed charge on 31/07/2014 as Chief Justice of the High Court of Uttarakhand at Nainital. On appointment as Judge of the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India, assumed office as Judge, Supreme Court on 07/08/2018.

 

 

Hon'ble Mr. Justice Ramesh Ranganathan:- Born on 28.07.1958 in New Delhi, Graduated in the year 1977, completed his Post Graduation in Commerce in the year 1981. He is also a qualified Chartered Accountant and a Company Secretary. He obtained Law Degree from Bangalore University and enrolled as an Advocate in the High Court of Andhra Pradesh in November, 1985. He was a Government Pleader from 1996 to 2000, and the Addl. Advocate General from July, 2000 to May, 2004. He appeared for several companies and statutory bodies including the N.T.R. University of Health Sciences, Visakhapatnam Port Trust, Singareni Collieries Company Limited, Power Grid Corporation of India, Canara Bank Voltas Limited etc. He was elevated as an Addl. Judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court on 26th May, 2005. Appointed as a Permanent Judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court on 20-02-2006 F.N. Nominated as the Executive Chairman of Andhra Pradesh Legal Services Authority, Hyderabad w.e.f. the forenoon of 29-12-2015.  Appointed to perform the duties of the Office of the Chief Justice, High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad for the State of Telangana and the State of Andhra Pradesh w.e.f. the forenoon of 30-07-2016.

Transferred to High Court of Uttarakhand and assumed charge on 02/11/2018 as Chief Justice of the High Court of Uttarakhand at Nainital. Retired on 27/07/2020.

 

 

Hon’ble Shri Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan 

Date of Birth		:	24th DECEMBER, 1959
Marital Status		:	MARRIED
Residential Address		:	C-148, DAYANAND MARG, TILAK NAGAR, JAIPUR.
Official Address		:	HIGH COURT OF UTTARAKHAND, MALLITAL, NAINITAL-263001 (UTTARAKHAND).
E-Mail I.D.		:	chiefjustice.tshc@aij.gov.in
Educational Qualification:
Year of Passing	Name of the Institution			Degree
1983	DELHI UNIVERSITY, DELHI			LL.B. DIV. I
1980	ARCADIA UNIVERSITY, GLENSIDE, PA (USA)			B.A. (HISTORY) DIV. I GOLD MEDAL
1980	ARCADIA UNIVERSITY, GLENSIDE, PA (USA)			B.F.A. (FINE ARTS), DIV. I
1976	CHELTENHAM HIGH SCHOOL, WYNCOTE, PA (USA)			HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA DIV. I

 

Date of Enrolment as Advocate			:	NOVEMBER 13, 1983
Date of Elevation as Judge, High Court of Rajasthan			:	JUNE 13, 2005
Date of Transfer as Judge, High Court of Karnataka			:	MARCH 10, 2015
Date of Transfer as Judge, High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad for the States of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana			:	NOVEMBER 23, 2018
Judge, High Court for the State of Telangana			:	JANUARY 01, 2019
Appointed as Acting Chief Justice, High Court for the State of Telangana			:	APRIL 04, 2019
Appointed as Chief Justice, High Court for the State of Telangana			:	JUNE 22, 2019
Chief Justice, High Court of Uttarakhand			:	JANUARY 07, 2021
Retired on			:	DECEMBER 23, 2021
(a) Areas of Specialization			:	Criminal Law, Constitutional Law, and Service Law
(b) Professional Experience:
2004-05	:	Panel Lawyer, for Rajasthan State Roadways Transport Corporation.
2002-05	:	Panel Lawyer, the Jaipur Development Authority for Rajasthan High Court.
2001-05	:	Panel Lawyer, for Rajasthan Agriculture Marketing Board.
2000-05	:	Panel Lawyer, for the Department of Stamp & Registration, Rajasthan.
1998-05	:	Panel Lawyer, for the Department of Stamp & Registration, Rajasthan.
June 98 - Nov. 98	:	Panel Lawyer, for the Income Tax Department.
1993-95	:	Panel Lawyer, for the United India Insurance Company.
1992-94	:	Panel Lawyer, for the Directorate of Revenue Enforcement (DRI), New Delhi.
1990-94	:	Panel Lawyer, for the Central Excise and Customs Dept.
1990-93	:	Panel Lawyer, for the Western Railways.
1990-92	:	Panel Lawyer, for the National Insurance Company.
Service Judge	:	Not Applicable
Publication / Paper presented at Conference / Assignments:
●  Digest of Rajasthan Criminal Cases: 1984-1994 (Jaipur: Indian Law Agencies, 1995)
● “The Unorganized Sector and the Courts: A New Horizon”, The Citizen and the Court: Indo-GDR Experience, Ed. Jitendra Sharma (New Delhi: New Literature, 1989).
● “The Unorganized Sector and the Courts”, a paper presented at GDR Conference, Jaipur, 1989.
● “Secularism and Our Times”, presented at the Indian Association of Lawyers’ Conference, Chandigarh, 2003.
● “The Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995: A Critique”, Paper presented in Seminar organized by the Commissioner for Disabilities, Rajasthan (2003).
● “The Prevention of Immoral Traffic Act” (2000), Paper presented in Seminar organized by the Rajasthan Women’s Commissioner.
● “The Domestic Violence Bill” (2001), Paper presented in Seminar organized by the Rajasthan Women’s Commissioner.
● “Trial by Media: An International Perspective” (2007), Paper presented at National Law Conference on Dispensation of Justice – Challenges Posed by New & Emerging Trends in Law, organized jointly by the Bar Council of India and Bar Council of Rajasthan.
● “The Indian Constitution: Panacea for Social Conflicts” (2008), presented at Professor Ram Ahuja Memorial Lecture organized by Sociology Department, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur.
● “The Constitution and the Administrator” (2009), Paper presented at LalBahadurShastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie.
● “Creativity Confined in the Age of Freedom”, Paper presented before the International Jurist Commission, Karnataka Chapter, on March 18, 2016.
● Montgomery v. Lanarkshire Health Board: A Paradigm Shift. BLOG 2017 Jan. 27: 10,111/1471-0528

Awards or Achievements:

● Editor-in-Chief, The Rajasthan Criminal Cases, 1994-96.

● Member, Editorial Board, The Rajasthan Criminal Cases, 1996-2004.

● Chancellor, The National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR), Hyderabad, while serving as Chief Justice, High Court for the State of Telangana.

Membership of Society / Academy / Club / Associations, etc.:

● Member of Rajasthan High Court Legal Service Committee.

● Member of Permanent Committee on ShishuGrah, BalikaGrah, Kishore Grah, Center for Rehabilitation of Mentally Retarded Women & Boys.  The Committee was formed by the Hon’ble High Court.

● Member, Board of Directors, “Partners in Law”, a think-tank organized by the Swedish Embassy to provide legal advice to NGOs involved in social work in India.

 

Hon’ble Sri Justice Vipin Sanghi :- Born on 27^th October, 1961 at Nagpur. His Lordship passed out from Delhi Public School, Mathura Road, New Delhi, in the year 1980.  His Lordship graduated in B.Sc. Mathematics (Hons.) from Delhi University, in the year 1983 and thereafter obtained the LL.B. Degree from the Law Faculty, Campus Law Centre, University of Delhi, in the year 1986. His Lordship was enrolled with the Bar Council of Delhi as an Advocate in the same year.

Hon’ble Justice Vipin Sanghi is a third generation lawyer after his grandfather Late Shri V.K. Sanghi, Advocate and father Late Shri G.L. Sanghi, Senior Advocate. His Lordship initially worked in the office of Shri Mukul Rohatgi, Senior Advocate. His Lordship was appointed as a Central Government Panel Advocate and functioned as such during 1990-91.  His Lordship was also appointed as Central Government Panel Lawyer in the Supreme Court of India, and was the Counsel for the M.C. Jain Commission of Enquiry. His Lordship chiefly practiced on the Civil and the Constitutional side in the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India and Hon'ble High Court of Delhi. His Lordship was designated as Senior Advocate by the Hon'ble Delhi High Court in December, 2005.

His Lordship was appointed as Additional Judge of the High Court of Delhi with effect from May 29, 2006 and confirmed as a Judge on 11^th February, 2008.  His Lordship was appointed as the Acting Chief Justice of Delhi High Court w.e.f. 13.03.2022. His Lordship was appointed as the Chief Justice, High Court of Uttarakhand and assumed charge on 28.06.2022. Retired on 26.10.2023.

 

Hon’ble Ms. Justice Ritu Bahri :- Her Lordship was born on 11.10.1962 at Jalandhar. She belongs to a family of illustrious Lawyers. Her great grand-father Late Shri Karam Chand Bahri was a well-known Lawyer of his times on the civil side. Her grand-father Late Shri Som Dutt Bahri also practiced Law on the civil side and was also Member, Legislative Assembly, Punjab, from 1952 to 1957. Her father Hon'ble Mr. Justice Amrit Lal Bahri retired as Judge of Punjab & Haryana High Court in the year 1994.

Her Lordship did her schooling from Carmel Convent School, Chandigarh, and Graduation in Economics (Hons.) from Government College for Women, Chandigarh in the year 1982 in 1^st Division. Thereafter, Her Lordship did her Law from Punjab University, Chandigarh, in the year 1985 in 1^st Division. She was enrolled as an Advocate in the year 1986 with Bar Council of Punjab & Haryana and started practice in Punjab & Haryana High Court.  Her Lordship was appointed as Assistant Advocate General, Haryana, in March 1992. Thereafter, she was appointed as Deputy Advocate General, Haryana, in August 1999 and Senior Advocate General, Haryana, in December 2009. While representing the State of Haryana, Her Lordship handled several cases relating to Service, Land Acquisition, Taxation, Revenue, Labour and MACT.

Her Lordship was elevated as an Additional Judge of the Punjab & Haryana High Court on 16.08.2010 and, thereafter, as a Permanent Judge on 23.02.2012. Her Lordship performed the duties as Acting Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court w.e.f. 14.10.2023 till 03.02.2024.  Vide Notification No. K.13032/02/2023-US.II of the Government of India, Ministry of Law and Justice (Department of Justice), dated 02.02.2024, Her Lordship was appointed as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Uttarakhand and assumed the charge on 04.02.2024. Retired on 10.10.2024.

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