President appoints new Chief Justice of Himachal and Uttarakhand HC

President of India Droupadi Murmu has appointed Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia and Justice Narender G the new Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh and the Uttarakhand High Court respectively, on 24 December 2024.

Justice Sandhawalia is at present a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court while Justice Narendra G is a judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court.

The names of these two judges were recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium to the government  of India for appointment as the Chief Justice of these High Courts.

The President also appointed Delhi High Court additional High Court judges justice Shailender Gaur and justice Ravinder Dudeja -- as the permanent judges.

The High Court judges retire at the age of 62 years.

Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia

Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia is presently the senior most judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

He will take the place of the current acting Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan who assumed the office after the retirement of previous Chief Justice Rajiv Shakdher on 18th October 2024.

About Justice Narendra G 

Justice Narendar G. is currently a judge of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh. He replaced the acting Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court Justice  Manoj Kumar Tiwari. Justice Maoj Tiwari has been the acting Chief Justice since the retirement of previous Chief Justice Ritu Bahri on 11 October 2024.

About Uttarakhand High Court 

The Uttarakhand High Court was established on 9 November 2000,the same day when the state of Uttarakhand came into existence.

The seat of the High Court is at Nainital.

First Chief Justice :  Justice Ashok A. Desai

Total Strength of the High Court: Nine judges including the Chief Justice.

About Himachal Pradesh High Court 

The Himachal Pradesh High Court was set up in Shimla in 1971 after Hiamchal Pradesh became a State.

Himachal Pradesh was a Union territory before it was given statehood in 1971. 

Before the establishment of its own High Court ,the Delhi High Court was the High Court of the Union Territory of Himachal Pradesh.

Seat of High Court: Nainital

First Chief Justice : Justice M. H. Beg 

Strength of the High Court:17 Judges including the Chief Justice.