Supreme Court Orders Himachal Court Collegium to Reconsider Judge Elevations

The Supreme Court has directed the Himachal Pradesh High Court collegium to collectively reconsider the names of judges Chirag Bhanu Singh and Arvind Malhotra for elevation. The ruling emphasized that only the collegium, not the Chief Justice alone, can re-evaluate recommendations, questioning the procedural correctness of the earlier decision.

The Supreme Court on Friday instructed the Himachal Pradesh High Court collegium to reconsider the elevation of two senior-most district and sessions judges to the high court. The apex court emphasized that such decisions should be made collectively by the high court collegium, not by the chief justice alone.

A bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and Prashant Kumar Mishra delivered the verdict based on a plea by the judges Chirag Bhanu Singh and Arvind Malhotra. The petitioners alleged their merit and seniority were overlooked by the high court collegium.

The bench noted the absence of collective consultation and deliberation among the high court collegium members. It underscored the procedural flaws in the chief justice's individual decision regarding the judges' suitability.

(With inputs from agencies.)