Transfer Justice Manoj Bajaj to Allahabad HC: SC Collegium
Chandigarh, July 12
The Supreme Court Collegium has resolved to reiterate its recommendation to transfer Justice Manoj Bajaj from the Punjab and Haryana High Court to the Allahabad High Court. The number of Judges with his transfer will go down to 63 against the sanctioned strength of 85.
The High Court Collegium, comprising the Chief Justice and two senior-most Judges, has recommended the names of nine advocates for elevation as the high court Judges after a gap of more than a year. But the appointments are likely to take time as the process of appointing judges is lengthy and time consuming.
At least four permanent judges are, meanwhile, retiring this year after attaining the age of superannuation. Besides, Chief Justice Ravi Shanker Jha will retire in October, if not elevated to the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court Collegium, comprising Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Justice Sanjiv Khanna, Justice B R Gavai and Justice Surya Kant, on July 5 proposed Justice Bajaj’s transfer to the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad for better administration of justice.
In terms of the memorandum of procedure, the Collegium consulted one of the Supreme Court Judges, who being conversant with the affairs of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana was in a position to offer views on the proposed transfer. The Chief Justices of the both the high courts also conveyed their no-objection to the proposed transfer after their opinion was sought in terms of the memorandum.
Justice Manoj Bajaj, however, made a request to continue to function at the Punjab and Haryana High Court. “We have carefully gone through the request made by Justice Bajaj in his representation, and bestowed our thoughtful consideration to the contents thereof. The Collegium does not find any merit in the request made by him.”
