The Central government on Monday notified the appointment of Justice Sanjeev Kumar as the Acting Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh following the elevation of Chief Justice Arun Palli to the Supreme Court.
The appointment has been made by the President of India in exercise of powers under Article 223 of the Constitution, which provides for the appointment of an Acting Chief Justice when the office of the Chief Justice of a High Court falls vacant or when the Chief Justice is unable to discharge the duties of the office.
A notification issued by the Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice, stated that Justice Sanjeev Kumar, presently serving as a judge of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, has been appointed to perform the duties of the office of the Chief Justice consequent upon the appointment of Chief Justice Arun Palli as a judge of the Supreme Court.
Justice Kumar was enrolled as an advocate in 1988 and primarily practised before the erstwhile High Court of Jammu and Kashmir in civil, constitutional, service and revenue matters. He was elevated as a judge of the High Court in June 2017 and is presently among its senior-most judges.
During his judicial tenure, Justice Kumar has been part of several important Benches dealing with disputes involving constitutional governance, public administration, service jurisprudence, taxation, land acquisition and criminal law. He has delivered a number of significant verdicts dealing with questions of public law, statutory interpretation, administrative action and governmental decision-making. He has also played an important role in the adjudication of matters concerning governance, public policy and citizens’ rights in the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Apart from his judicial work, Justice Kumar has served on various administrative committees of the High Court and has been associated with institutional initiatives relating to court administration and judicial governance. He has also been a member of several Division Benches, deciding matters involving substantial questions of law and issues of considerable public importance.
The notification was issued on the same day that the High Court scheduled a Full Court Reference to bid farewell to Chief Justice Arun Palli following his elevation to the Supreme Court. The ceremonial proceedings were held at the Srinagar Wing of the High Court and attended by members of the Bench and the Bar, marking the conclusion of Chief Justice Palli’s tenure before he assumes office as a judge of the Supreme Court.
The post Centre appoints Justice Sanjeev Kumar as Acting Chief Justice of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court appeared first on India Legal.