Srinagar, Nov 3 (GNS): The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, on Wednesday appointed two judicial officers Mohan Lal and Mohammad Akram Chowdhary as judges of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
According to an order issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice, the appointments have been made by the President under clause (1) of Article 217 of the Constitution of India. “Their appointment shall come into effect from the day they assume office,” reads the order a copy of which lies with GNS.
In December last year, the J&K High Court Collegium had recommended names of these two senior most Judicial Officers for elevation as High Court Judges
The names of the two Judicial Officers were later recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium headed by Chief Justice of India N V Ramana in September this year.
With their appointment, the bench strength of the top court, common to J&K and Ladakh, shall go to 13. Presently there are eleven judges including the Chief Justice Pankaj Mithal in the high court. The Judges of the High Court, at present, are Justices Ali Mohammad Magrey, Dhiraj Singh Thakur, Tashi Rabstan, Sanjeev Kumar, Sindhu Sharma, Rajnesh Oswal, Vinod Chatterji Koul, Sanjay Dhar, Puneet Gupta and Javed Iqbal Wani. The J&K and Ladakh High Court has a sanctioned strength of 17 Judges including 13 Permanent Judges and 4 Additional Judges. With the appointment of two more Judges, there will be only four vacancies. (GNS)
