NEW DELHI: The high courts of Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Madras, Kerala, Orissa, Jharkhand and Patna are likely to get new chief justices with the Supreme Court Collegium recommending the names for the posts to the government.

The collegium has recommended the names of justices Rajendra Menon, Gita Mittal, VK Tahilramani, Hrishikesh Roy, KS Jhaveri, Aniruddha Bose and MR Shah for chief justices of high courts of Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Madras, Kerala, Orissa, Jharkhand and Patna respectively.

While Menon is currently the Chief Justice of the Patna High Court, Mittal is functioning as Acting Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court.

Tahilramani is the senior-most judge from the Bombay High Court and Roy, who is from the Gauhati High Court, is currently serving on transfer as Acting Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court.

Justice Bose, senior puisne judge of the Calcutta High Court and whose name was earlier on January 10 recommended for the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court but was referred back by the law ministry for reconsideration, has now been recommended to be appointed as the Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court .

In its July 16 meeting, the five-member Collegium, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra , said, "On reconsideration, the Collegium in supersession of the above recommendation resolves to recommend that Justice Rajendra Menon, Chief Justice of Patna High Court, be transferred, on account of administrative exigencies, to Delhi High Court."

The five-member Collegium also comprised justices Ranjan Gogoi, Madan B Lokur, Kurian Joseph and AK Sikri.

On the same day, a Collegium comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and justices Gogoi and Lokur recommended the name of Justice Mittal as the Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court.

The three-member Collegium said that Justice Mittal was suitable in all respects for appointment as the Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court which has been lying vacant after the retirement of Justice B D Ahmed on March 15.

"Collegium has taken into consideration the fact that at present there is only one chief justice from Delhi High Court which has the special status of being the high court for the national capital," the resolution, which has been posted on the official website of the apex court, said.

Justice Mittal is the senior-most judge from the Delhi High Court and has been functioning as Acting Chief Justice since April 2017 after retirement of Justice G Rohini.

The three-member Collegium has also recommended to appoint Justice Roy, senior-most judge from the Gauhati High Court, who is currently on transfer functioning as Acting Chief Justice of Kerala from May 30 as its chief justice.

"While making the above recommendation the Collegium has taken into consideration that at present there is no chief justice from Gauhati High Court," the resolution said.

The three-member Collegium said the office of the Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court has been lying vacant for some time and recommended the name of Justice Bose.

It also noted that the Madras High Court would be without a Chief as Chief Justice Indira Banerjee's name has been recommended for elevation to the Supreme Court.

"Justice V K Tahilramani is senior-most Judge from Bombay High Court and has been functioning there since June 26, 2001. Having regard to all relevant factors, the Collegium finds Justice V K Tahilramani suitable in all respects for being appointed as Chief Justice of the Madras High Court and recommends that she be appointed as Chief Justice of that High Court," the collegium said.

It also said that it has taken into consideration the fact that at present there is only one Chief Justice from Bombay High Court, which is one of the biggest high courts with sanctioned judge-strength of 94 judges.

Following the recommendation for elevation of Chief Justice of Orissa High Court Vineet Saran to the Supreme Court, the collegium in its July 18 meeting recommended the name of Justice Jhaveri, the senior puisne judge from the Gujarat High Court and who has been serving on transfer in Rajasthan High Court , as the Chief Justice there.

"While making the above recommendation the Collegium has taken into consideration the fact that Gujarat High Court has remained unrepresented on the Bench of the Supreme Court and there has been no Chief Justice from Gujarat High Court, for a long time," the resolution said.

Regarding Justice Shah, the collegium recommended his name for Chief Justice of Patna High Court. He was elevated as judge of the Gujarat High Court on March 7, 2004, and is now the senior-most judge of that high court.

