Centre Notifies Appointments Of Chief Justices At Eight High Courts - Live Law

**Centre Notifies Appointments of Chief Justices at Eight High Courts**

New Delhi – The Ministry of Law and Justice issued an official notification on [date], confirming the appointment of eight senior judges as chief justices of High Courts across India. The appointments, which were disclosed simultaneously by the government and reported by major legal news portals such as Live Law, Bar and Bench, The Hindu, NDTV, and Hindustan Times, mark a significant reshuffle in the country’s higher judiciary. Among the newly designated chief justices are Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi for the Bombay High Court and Justice Sanjay Kumar Agrawal for the Rajasthan High Court.

Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi, a distinguished jurist who has served on the Bombay bench for over a decade, will assume charge as the 55th chief justice of the Bombay High Court. His elevation follows a routine seniority‑based selection process and is expected to bring continuity to the court’s docket, which includes high‑profile commercial and constitutional matters. In Rajasthan, Justice Sanjay Kumar Agrawal, previously a judge of the Rajasthan High Court, has been appointed chief justice amid a backdrop of heightened public scrutiny over alleged “corruption and nepotism” in judicial appointments. The remaining six appointments, whose names were also listed in the notification, include judges slated to lead the high courts of Karnataka, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, and the Delhi High Court.

The wave of appointments has reignited a long‑standing debate on transparency and meritocracy in the Indian judiciary. While the bar associations of the respective states have welcomed the new chief justices, they have also called for a more open and consultative process to allay concerns of favoritism. Legal analysts point out that the current batch of appointments, coming at a time when the Supreme Court is hearing petitions on judicial reforms, could set a precedent for future selections. The government, however, maintains that the appointments are in strict compliance with the collegium system and the constitutional framework governing the judiciary.