Justice Sanjeev Kumar Appointed Acting Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court
Appointment of Acting Chief Justice
File image of Justice Sanjeev Kumar(Photo: @jiwak_shah/X)
New Delhi, June 1: On Monday, the Central Government announced the appointment of Justice Sanjeev Kumar as the Acting Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. This decision follows the elevation of the current Chief Justice, Arun Palli, to the Supreme Court.
The notification from the Union Ministry of Law and Justice states, “In accordance with Article 223 of the Constitution of India, the President has appointed Shri Justice Sanjeev Kumar, a Judge of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, to fulfill the responsibilities of the Chief Justice due to the appointment of Shri Justice Arun Palli as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India.”
Article 223 allows the President to designate any puisne judge as Acting Chief Justice when the position is vacant or when the Chief Justice is unable to perform their duties.
Earlier that day, the Centre approved the elevation of Justice Arun Palli, along with three other High Court Chief Justices and senior advocate V. Mohana, to the Supreme Court, based on the recommendations from the Supreme Court Collegium.
Union Minister for Law and Justice, Arjun Ram Meghwal, confirmed that the President, after consulting with the Chief Justice of India (CJI), appointed Justices Sheel Nagu, Shree Chandrashekhar, Sanjeev Sachdeva, and Arun Palli, along with senior advocate V. Mohana, as judges of the Supreme Court.
Justice Arun Palli, who previously served as Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh since April 2025, was recommended for elevation to the apex court during the Collegium meetings on May 22 and May 27.
It is noteworthy that Justice Sanjeev Kumar had previously held the position of Acting Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in April 2025 before Justice Arun Palli took over as Chief Justice.