09/03/2017 YetanotherBombayHCjudgepassedoverforSCMumbaiMirror

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YET ANOTHER BOMBAY HC JUDGE PASSED OVER FOR SC

BySunilBaghel,MumbaiMirror|May13,2016,02.00AMIST

(LtoR)JusticeDHWaghela,JusticeAMKhanwilkar,JusticeDYChandrachudandRetiredChiefJusticeMohitShah
PresidentPranabMukherjeeonWednesdayclearedfournamesforelevationtotheSupremeCourt,andithas
broughttwodifferenttidingsfortheBombayHighCourt.One,BombayHighCourtcouldgetanotherChiefJustice
ofIndiainJusticeDhananjayChandrachud,andtwo,thecurrentChiefJusticeofBombayHC,DHWaghela,has
beendeniedelevation.OverlookingJusticeWaghelamakesitasecondsuccessivedenialfortheBombayHC
whereitsChiefJusticehasmissedtheboattobeelevatedtotheSupremeCourt.JusticeMohitShah,whowas
succeededbyJusticeWaghela,wasdeniedelevationtotheapexcourtthrice.

JusticesAMKhanwilkarandDYChandrachudaresettotakeoathasSupremeCourtjudgestoday,alongwith
JusticeAshokBhushanofKeralaHCandSeniorAdvocateLNageswaraRao.

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09/03/2017 YetanotherBombayHCjudgepassedoverforSCMumbaiMirror

SourcesclosetotheUniongovernmentsuggestedthatJusticeWaghela'snamewasnotpartofthelistofnames
recommendedforelevation.Refusingtocommentontheissue,UnionLawMinisterDVSadanandGowdasaid
thegovernmentwasonlyfollowingtheprocedureanddetailspertainingtothecurrentbatchofelevationcould
notbedisclosed.

JusticeMohitShahwouldhavegoneontobecometheChiefJusticeofIndiahadhebeenelevatedatthefirstgo
October2011.OtherjudgeswhowereelevatedthenwereJusticeDipakMishraandJusticeJChelameswar.
JusticeMishraislikelytogetatleasta13monthtermastheCJInow.

WhileJusticesKhanwilkarandChandrachudbothoriginallyfromtheBombayHCwereconsideredtobeamong
thegoodjudgesoftheireratheyarebothjuniortoJusticeWaghela.

Sohowisthesenioritycountedinthejudiciary?AtHClevelforelevationasaCJofsomeHCthedateof
appointmentattheHCistakenintoconsideration.Ifthedateofappointmentisthesamefortwojudges,thenthe
personwhogotenrolledasalawyerearlierisconsideredtobethesenioramongthetwo.Thereafter,for
elevationtotheSC,elevationdateofaparticularHCjudgeasCJofsomeHCistakenintoaccount.Ifitisthe
samefortwoCJs,thenitgoesbacktotheoriginalmethodofascertainingseniority.

JusticeWaghelawasappointedasHCjudgeinSeptember1999,whilethedateofappointmentforbothJustice
KhanwilkarandJusticeChandrachudisMarch2000.Sincebothwereappointedonthesameday,Justice
KhanwilkarisseniortoJusticeChandrachudashegotenrolledasalawyerbeforethelatter.Justice
ChandrachudwasoneoftheyoungestHCjudgesandifthesystemremainsthewayitis,hewillgetagoodtwo
yeartenureastheCJIfrom2022to2024.HisfatherJusticeYVChandrachudtoohadservedasaCJIfrom
1978to1985.

JusticeWaghelabecameaChiefJusticeofanHCtoobeforebothJusticeKhanwilkarandJusticeChandrachud.
HewaselevatedasCJofKarnatakaHCinMarch2013.JusticeKhanwilkarwaselevatedasCJofHimachal
PradeshamonthlaterandJusticeChandrachudasCJofAllahabadHCinOctoberthesameyear.Justice
WaghelawassoontransferredtotheOdishaHCandthentoBombayHCinFebruarythisyear.

WhileasourcewhohasknownJusticeWaghelaforafewyearsnowsaidthatthereshouldn'thavebeena
probleminelevatinghimtotheSC,retiredJusticeAPShahhadadifferentopinion."Theapexcourtisnotjust
aboutseniority,itneedsjudgeswhoareprobablythemostefficientinthecountryandJusticeKhanwilkarand
JusticeChandrachudareprobablythebestinthecountryrightnow,"Shahsaid.

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09/03/2017 YetanotherBombayHCjudgepassedoverforSCMumbaiMirror

JusticeAPShahtoowasonesuchHCChiefJusticewhowasdeniedelevationtotheSCin2010andhad
criticisedthedecisionhesaidthathehadpresentedanotetotheministryafterhisappointmentasLaw
CommissionChief,whichsaidthatseniorityshouldnotbethesolecriterionforelevationtotheSC."Ihadsaid
thataveryjuniorjudgetooshouldnotbeelevated,butitshouldnotbejustaboutseniority.Ihadsaidinthatnote
thatacertainnumbershouldbekeptinmindsay5andoutofthemthebestonesshouldbeelevated."

JusticeWaghelacouldnotbereachedforacomment.InhiscurrentcapacityasaHighCourtCJ,heisdueto
retireonAugust10thisyear.

ADDACOMMENT

NEXTSTORY CRgivesuponMatheransfamedtoytrain

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09/03/2017 YetanotherBombayHCjudgepassedoverforSCMumbaiMirror

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