Justice Rajeev Sharma named acting chief justice of Uttarakhand high court

He was appointed as additional judge in Himachal Pradesh high court in April 2007 and confirmed as permanent judge in March 2013. He was transferred to the Uttarakhand high court in September 2016

The Centre on Monday notified the appointment of Justice Rajeev Sharma as the acting chief justice of the Uttarakhand High Court after outgoing chief justice, K M Joseph, was elevated to the Supreme Court last week.

According to a Union law ministry notification “in exercise of the powers conferred by article 223 of the Constitution Of India, the President is pleased to appoint Justice Rajeev Sharma, senior most judge of the Uttarakhand high court , to perform the duties of the office of the chief justice of that high court with effect from date Justice KM Joseph relinquishes charge of the office consequent upon his appointment as a judge of the Supreme Court of India”.

Justice Sharma has decided around 11,165 cases in Uttarakhand and another 60,000 in Himachal Pradesh, said a high court official.

According to the Uttarakhand high court website, Justice Sharma, born in 1958, obtained the LLB degree from Himachal Pradesh University and enrolled as an advocate in 1982. He was designated senior advocate in 2002 and primarily practiced in the High Court of Himachal Pradesh in constitutional law, administrative law, employment cases and environmental law.

He was appointed as additional judge in Himachal Pradesh high court in April 2007 and confirmed as permanent judge in March 2013. He was transferred to the Uttarakhand high court in September 2016.

The acting chief justices were also appointed to Madras, Orissa and Bombay high courts.

Justice K S Jhaveri of the Rajasthan HC has been appointed as the chief justice of the Orissa HC. Till justice Jhaveri takes over, Justice Indrajit Mahanty, the senior-most judge there, will be the acting chief justice.

In the Madras HC, Justice H G Ramesh will be the acting chief justice till Justice Vijaya K Tahilramani takes over as the chief justice.

Justice Tahilramani is at present the acting chief justice of the Bombay HC.

Justice Naresh H Patil will be the acting chief justice of the Bombay HC after Justice Tahilramani was made the chief justice of the Madras HC.

According to the circular issued by the deputy registrar (administration), Supreme Court of India, the swearing in ceremony of Justice KM Joseph, Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice Vineet Saran as judges of the Supreme Court will be held at 10.30 am on Tuesday (August 7) in the Chief Justice’s Court .