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(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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