Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 17: Reconsidering its earlier decision pending with the Government, the Supreme Court Collegium comprising of Chief Justice of India Justice D Y Chandrachud, Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice B R Gavai has recommended that Justice Tashi Rabstan be appointed as Chief Justice of High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
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By its resolution dated July 11, 2024, the Supreme Court Collegium had resolved that Justice Suresh Kumar Kait, senior Puisne Judge of the High Court of Delhi, be appointed as Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh and Justice Tashi Rabstan, senior most Puisne Judge of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, be appointed as Chief Justice of the High Court of Meghalaya.
Now, on reconsideration, after taking into consideration all relevant factors and in supersession of the earlier recommendations, the Supreme Court Collegium has observed, “Justice Tashi Rabstan is the senior most Puisne Judge of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. He was appointed as a Judge on March 8, 2013 and is due to retire on April 9, 2025”, adding “in terms of the Memorandum of Procedure, since Justice Tashi Rabstan has less than one year to retire, he can be appointed as the Chief Justice of his parent High Court”.
Justice Tashi Rabstan belongs to Ladakh and would be the first Chief Justice from the region of Ladakh which has otherwise little or no representation among the Judges of the High Courts and no representation at all so far in the office of Chief Justice, the SC Collegium said, adding “besides belonging to Ladakh, he is a Buddhist and belongs to the Bot Scheduled Tribe and his appointment will bring diversity in the office of Chief Justices of the High Courts”
Accordingly, the Collegium in supersession of its earlier recommendation made on July 11, 2024 has recommended that Justice Tashi Rabstan be appointed as Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
“Since Justice Tashi Rabstan is now being recommended for appointment as Chief Justice of High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, the Collegium proposes that Justice Suresh Kumar Kait be appointed as Chief Justice of the High Court of Madhya Pradesh”, read the resolution.