Collegium recommends Delhi High Court CJ Manmohan for SC judgeship

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Collegium led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna on Thursday recommended elevation of Delhi High Court's Chief Justice Manmohan as a judge of the top court.

In a statement, the Collegium, also comprising four senior most judges, noted Justice Manmohan stood at serial number two in the combined all India seniority of High Court judges, besides being the senior most in the Delhi High Court.

While picking Justice Manmohan, the Collegium also noted the Delhi High Court was represented by only one judge in the Supreme Court. CJI Khanna hailed from Delhi High Court.

Justice Manmohan's name was chosen unanimously in the meeting held on November 28.

The other members of the collegium are Justices B R Gavai, Surya Kant, Hrishikesh Roy, and Abhay S Oka.

Currently, the apex court functioned with 32 judges as against the sanctioned strength of 34 judges, including the CJI. The two vacancies arose after retirements of Justice Hima Kohli and former CJI D Y Chandrachud.

Justice Manmohan was appointed as a judge of the High Court of Delhi on March 13, 2008 and has been functioning as the Chief Justice of that HC since September 29, 2024.

Justice Manmohan is the son of bureaucrat-turned-politcian and former J&K Governor Jagmohan.

Born in Delhi on December 17, 1962, he did his schooling from Modern School, Barakhamba Road. He received his BA (Hons) in History from Hindu College of University of Delhi and completed his LLB from Campus Law Centre, University of Delhi in 1987, and enrolled as an advocate with Bar Council of Delhi in the same year. Practiced primarily in Supreme Court of India and High Court of Delhi in Civil, Criminal, Constitutional, Taxation, Arbitration, Trademark and Service litigation.

He was designated as a senior advocate by the Delhi High Court on January 18, 2003.