Delhi HC’s six new judges to take oath on Monday

Six new judges will take oath of office as judges of the Delhi High Court on Monday, taking its strength to 40.

The six new judges will be administered the oath of office by Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya at 10 AM on July 21 in a ceremony to be held in the high court premises.

The six judges are Justices V Kameswar Rao, Nitin Wasudeo Sambre, Vivek Chaudhary, Anil Kshetrapal, Arun Kumar Monga and Om Prakash Shukla.

With their swearing-in, the high court’s strength will go up to 40. The sanctioned strength of the high court is 60.

While Justice Sambre was in the Bombay High Court, Justices Chaudhary and Shukla were in the Allahabad High Court.

Justice Kshetarpal was in the Punjab and Haryana High Court and Justice Monga was in the Rajasthan High Court. Justice Rao has been repatriated to Delhi from the Karnataka High Court.

The Delhi High Court’s senior-most judge, Justice Vibhu Bakhru was bid farewell on July 16 on his elevation as the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court.

The reshuffling will also result in reconstitution of the high court’s three-member collegium.

Till now the high court collegium comprised Chief Justice Upadhyaya, Justice Bakhru and Justice Prathiba M Singh. However, after the swearing-in ceremony, the collegium will consist of Chief Justice Upadhyaya and Justices Rao and Sambre as they are senior to Justice Singh.

The Central government on July 14 notified the transfer of these six judges from their respective high courts to the Delhi High Court based on the recommendations made by the Supreme Court collegium.