Delhi High Court get seven new judges; Check their names, appointment process and powers of HC judges

Seven judicial officers were sworn in as judges of the Delhi High Court on September 21, thus increasing the court’s working strength to 50 against a sanctioned strength of 60. Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya administered the oath to new judges, namely Nivedita Anil Sharma, Nisha Sahay Saxena, Sanjay Sharma, Bharat Parashar, Dr Aditi Choudhary, Dinesh Bhatt and Arun Bhardwaj. The appointments were notified on September 19, after recommendations by the Supreme Court Collegium.

Who are the New Judges?

Nivedita Anil Sharma and Nisha Sahay Saxena have been appointed permanent judges. Sanjay Sharma, Bharat Parashar, Dr Aditi Choudhary, Dinesh Bhatt and Arun Bhardwaj have been appointed additional judges. All seven belong to Delhi’s district judiciary.

Previously, Bhardwaj was serving as Registrar General of the Delhi High Court, while Parashar was Secretary General of the Supreme Court. Saxena, Sanjay Sharma and Bhatt had served in senior district and sessions judge positions. Choudhary has also held an administrative role in the Delhi High Court.

How are High Court Judges Appointed?

Under Article 217 of the Constitution, High Court judges are formally appointed by the President of India through a warrant under his hand and seal. For judges other than the Chief Justice, the process starts with the High Court Collegium, headed by the Chief Justice of that High Court and comprising its two senior-most puisne judges.

The recommendation shifts to the Supreme Court Collegium. The Chief Justice of India consults the two senior-most Supreme Court judges before recommending names. The Union government processes the recommendation and, once approved, the President conducts the formal appointment.

In the current Delhi High Court appointment, the Supreme Court Collegium recommended eight judicial officers on September 10. The Centre notified seven appointments, while Gurvinder Pal Singh’s recommendation was not cleared.

Powers of a High Court Judge

High Courts are constitutional courts and derive their powers from Part VI, Chapter V of the Constitution. Their judges hear civil and criminal appeals, interpret laws, decide writ petitions and conduct constitutional review of government action.

Under Article 226, High Courts can issue writs for implementation of fundamental rights and “for any other purpose”. They also exercise superintendence over subordinate courts under Article 227. High Court judges can therefore review administrative decisions, protect legal and constitutional rights, and hear challenges to lower-court orders.

The new appointments elevate and bolster the Delhi High Court’s bench as it continues to process constitutional, civil, criminal, commercial and administrative issues.