No acting CJs as SC collegium names chiefs for 13 high courts

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court collegium has cleared the appointment of regular chief justices in eight high courts across the country in a move aimed at making administration of constitutional courts more efficient. At present, eight out of 25 high courts were working without regular chief justices.

The collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana, also set in motion a major shake-up by recommending the transfer of five chief justices, besides reshuffling 28 other judges of the high courts, according to people familiar with the development.

One of these judges is justice Akil Kureshi, who will move from his current position of chief justice of Tripura HC to head the larger Rajasthan high court. Justice Kureshi was overlooked by the collegium last month, when it elevated nine high court judges to the top court. It was his pending elevation that led to an unprecedented impasse of 21 months in the collegium, when not a single name was recommended by it to the government.

The latest decision comes a fortnight after the collegium, which includes justices Uday Lalit, AM Khanwilkar, Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud and L Nageswara Rao, created a record of sorts by having nine judges, including three women judges, appointed to the top court in one go on August 31.

The collegium has recommended a total of 82 names for appointment in various high courts since April, when justice Ramana took the helm.