New Delhi, Sep 24 (IANS): The Supreme Court Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, on Tuesday, recommended the appointment of Justice Narendar G. as the Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court.

A vacancy in the office of the Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court would arise consequent upon the retirement of incumbent Justice Ritu Bahri on October 10 this year.

In a statement released on the website of the apex court, the Collegium said that it proposes to appoint Justice Narendar G. with effect from the date on which the incumbent Chief Justice demits office on retirement.

Justice Narendar G was appointed as a Judge of the High Court of Karnataka in January 2015. "He was transferred to the High Court of Andhra Pradesh on 30 October 2023 and has been functioning there since then. He is the senior-most Judge in his parent High Court and belongs to the Other Backward Class,” noted the SC Collegium, adding that he practised before the Karnataka High Court before elevation.

The Collegium said that Narendar G is an experienced judge with considerable experience on the judicial and administrative sides of the High Courts of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. "The Collegium is of the considered view that Mr Justice Narendar G is fit and suitable in all respects for being appointed as Chief Justice of the High Court of Uttarakhand," it said, adding that at present, the Karnataka High Court has no representation among the Chief Justices of the High Courts.

The Memorandum of Procedure relating to the appointment of Chief Justice of a High Court provides that "a fair representation shall be given to various High Courts for selection of Chief Justices. For purposes of such selection, inter-se seniority of puisne Judges will be reckoned on the basis of their seniority in their own High Court. The consideration for appointment of Chief Justices shall be based on the criterion of seniority subject to merit and integrity".

Last week, the Centre cleared the appointment of Chief Justices of the High Courts of Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Madras, and Meghalaya.