A recent wave of judicial transfers has reshaped the Delhi High Court, with 10 of its 44 judges now from other states. The appointments mark a major shift in the court’s composition and seniority structure.
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NEW DELHI: Judicial transfers in and out of the Delhi High Court have stirred considerable discussion within the legal fraternity, drawing letters of concern from members of the Bar to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) and the Supreme Court Collegium.
In the latest reshuffle, Justices Dinesh Mehta, Avneesh Jhingan, and Chandrasekharan Sudha, who transferred from the High Courts of Rajasthan and Kerala, were sworn in at the Delhi High Court on October 28. Their arrival coincided with the transfer of Justices Tara Vitasta Ganju and Arun Monga to the Karnataka and Rajasthan High Courts, respectively.
Delhi High Court Now Has the Highest Number
Of the 44 sitting judges at the Delhi High Court, 10, including Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, hail from other High Courts. This gives Delhi the distinction of having the highest number of judges from outside the parent cadre, followed by the Karnataka High Court (9 judges) and the Madras High Court (6 judges).
Within the Delhi High Court Collegium, only Justice V Kameswar Rao belongs to the Delhi cadre. The Chief Justice comes from Allahabad High Court, and Justice N W Sambre from Bombay High Court.
Justice Rao is notably the only judge from Delhi among the top five judges at the Court. Interestingly, five of the nine division benches are now headed by judges transferred from outside Delhi.
New Judges Rank in Seniority
Following their induction, the three new judges have been positioned as follows in the Delhi High Court seniority list:
- Justice Dinesh Mehta, 4th senior-most judge
- Justice Avneesh Jhingan, 10th in seniority
- Justice Chandrasekharan Sudha, 20th in seniority
These rankings directly influence bench composition, roster allocation, and the administrative hierarchy within the High Court.
Bench Composition and New Judicial Rosters
As per the roster effective October 28, significant changes have been made to the court’s internal structure and case distribution:
- Justice Dinesh Mehta now heads Division Bench IV alongside Justice Vimal Kumar Yadav, dealing primarily with service matters and Armed Forces appeals. This bench was earlier part of Division Bench IX, which included Justices Subramonium Prasad and Vimal Kumar Yadav. With the reorganization, Justice Prasad — now ranked 10th in seniority after Justice Mehta’s arrival — has been designated as the judge-in-charge of the Court’s original jurisdiction.
- Justice Avneesh Jhingan has been assigned to handle Civil Writ Petitions related to Land Reforms, including alternative land allotment and Service Writs (from 2016 onwards), along with regular hearing matters in these categories.
- Justice Chandrasekharan Sudha will preside over Civil Writ Petitions (Labour) from 2018 to 2023, as well as First Appeals from Orders (other than Motor Vehicle Act cases), and regular hearing matters in these areas.
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