Shimla, Sept 16 (UNI) The Supreme Court Collegium has approved the elevation of two senior advocates as judges of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, strengthening the bench in the hill state.
According to a statement issued by the Supreme Court Registry yesterday, the Collegium, in its meeting, cleared the names of Advocate Jiya Lal Bhardwaj and Advocate Romesh Verma for appointment as judges.
Both had recently appeared before the Collegium in an interaction round, after which their candidature was endorsed.
With their appointment, the effective strength of the Himachal Pradesh High Court will rise from the present 11 to 13 judges, including the Chief Justice.
This comes as a relief for the High Court, which has been functioning under a reduced strength due to recent elevations and impending retirements.
The sanctioned strength of the Himachal Pradesh High Court was enhanced from 13 to 17 judges in June 2022. However, the actual working strength has often remained lower.
The vacancy position widened recently when Justice Trilok Singh Chauhan was elevated as Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court, bringing down the strength in Himachal to 11.
Another judge is also set to retire later this year, which would again impact the bench’s capacity.
The elevation of Bhardwaj and Verma, both prominent members of the Himachal Pradesh High Court Bar Association, has been welcomed in legal circles.
Sources indicated that the remaining vacancies may be filled in the near future through a mix of appointments from the subordinate judiciary and transfers from other high courts, to reach the sanctioned strength of 17.
The appointments are expected to provide much-needed relief to the High Court, which is handling an increasing volume of cases related to land disputes, environmental litigation, service matters, and public interest petitions.
With the addition of two new judges, the court will be better equipped to reduce case pendency and ensure faster disposal of matters.
Once the official notification is issued by the government of India, the swearing-in of the new judges is expected to take place at the Himachal Pradesh High Court in Shimla.
