New Delhi: The Centre on Friday notified the appointment of Bombay High Court judge, Justice Mahesh Sharadchandra Sonak, as the Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court, following the retirement of the incumbent Chief Justice on January 8.
A notification issued by the Union Ministry of Law and Justice said that the President, in exercise of powers conferred by the Constitution of India and in consultation with the Chief Justice of India (CJI), was pleased to appoint Justice Sonak as the Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court.
The appointment comes in line with the recommendation of the CJI Surya Kant-led Supreme Court Collegium, which had earlier proposed the elevation of Justice Sonak, a judge of the Bombay High Court, as the Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court, in view of the impending retirement of the incumbent Chief Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan.
Born on November 28, 1964, Justice Sonak completed his schooling at Don Bosco High School, Panaji, Goa. He obtained his B.Sc. degree from Dhempe College of Arts and Science and his LL.B. from M.S. College of Law, Panaji, affiliated to Bombay University.
Before elevation to the Bench, Justice Sonak enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa in October 1988 and practised at the Panaji Bench of the Bombay High Court in civil and constitutional law, labour and service law, environmental law, commercial and tax laws, company law and public interest litigations.
During his career at the Bar, he served as Additional Standing Counsel for the Central government and Special Counsel for the State government and statutory corporations.
He was elevated as an Additional Judge of the Bombay High Court on June 21, 2013.
On Thursday, the Centre notified the appointment and transfer of Chief Justices of High Courts of Kerala, Patna and Meghalaya. However, the apex court Collegium’s proposal to appoint Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta of the Allahabad High Court as Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court is yet to be acted upon by the Centre.
(IANS)
