Collegium recommends Delhi HC CJ Manmohan for SC judgeship

New Delhi, Nov 28 (PTI) The Supreme Court collegium on Thursday passed a unanimous resolution recommending to the Centre the name of Delhi High Court Chief Justice Manmohan for elevation to the top court.

"The Supreme Court Collegium has, therefore, unanimously recommended that Justice Manmohan be appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court of India," read the SC resolution.

The five-member collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, met on Thursday and unanimously recommended Justice Manmohan's elevation to the Supreme Court.

The other collegium members include Justices B R Gavai, Surya Kant, Hrishikesh Roy and A S Oka.

The apex court currently has a strength of 32 judges against the sanctioned 34 judges, including the CJI.

The two vacancies in the apex court arose after retirements of Justice Hima Kohli and former CJI D Y Chandrachud.

The statement further said the collegium deliberated on and discussed the names of chief justices and senior judges of the high courts eligible for appointment to the Supreme Court.

"Justice Manmohan stands at serial number 2 in the combined all-India seniority of high court judges and he is the senior-most judge in the High Court of Delhi," it said.

"While recommending his name, the collegium has taken into consideration the fact that, at present, the bench of Supreme Court is represented by only one judge from the High Court of Delhi," the statement read further.

It said Justice Manmohan was appointed as a judge of the Delhi High Court on March 13, 2008 and has been functioning as its chief justice since September 29, 2024.

He was appointed as the acting chief justice of the Delhi High Court on November 9, 2023.

Justice Manmohan, 61, is the son of late Jagmohan, a famous bureaucrat-turned politician who also served as the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir and the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi.

Justice Manmohan, who was then a senior advocate, was appointed as an additional judge of Delhi High Court on March 13, 2008 and made a permanent judge on December 17, 2009.

He enrolled as an advocate in 1987 after obtaining a law degree from Campus Law Centre, Delhi University. PTI ABA SJK AMK