New Delhi: The Union government on Tuesday notified the appointment of three advocates--Sanjeev Jayendra Thaker, Deeptendra Narayan Ray, and Maulik Jitendra Shelat--as judges of the Gujarat High Court.
A notification issued by the Department of Justice stated that, in exercise of the power conferred by clause (1) of Article 217 of the Constitution of India, the President of India, after consultation with the Chief Justice of India, has appointed the three advocates as judges of the Gujarat High Court, effective from the date they assume charge of their respective offices. This notification was issued on 8th October 2024.
On 13th August, the Supreme Court Collegium recommended the names of these three advocates for appointment as judges of the Gujarat High Court.
A resolution by the Supreme Court stated that, on 22nd December 2023, the Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court, in consultation with her two senior-most colleagues, recommended these advocates for appointment as judges.
The Chief Minister and the Governor of Gujarat have not conveyed their views on the recommendation. The Department of Justice invoked paragraph 14 of the Memorandum of Procedure, which provides that if the comments of the State constitutional authorities are not received within the prescribed timeframe, the Minister of Law and Justice may presume that the Governor and Chief Minister have no further input and proceed accordingly.
To assess the suitability of these advocates for elevation to the High Court, the collegium consulted colleagues familiar with the Gujarat High Court. They also scrutinised and evaluated the materials on record and considered the observations made by the Department of Justice, according to the Supreme Court collegium.
—ANI