The Law Ministry on Monday notified the transfer of Madras High Court Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee to the Meghalaya High Court after President Ram Nath Kovind accepted the Supreme Court Collegium’s recommendation of transfer.
“In exercise of the power conferred by clause (1) of Article 222 of the Constitution of India, the President, after consultation with the Chief Justice of India, is pleased to transfer Shri Justice Sanjib Banerjee, Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, as the Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court,” read the notification by the Ministry of Law and Justice.
The notification said President Kovind has directed Justice Banerjee to assume the office of Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court.
The Supreme Court Collegium recommended the transfer of Justice Banerjee from Madras High Court with a sanctioned strength of 75 judges to High Court whose current strength is of two judges.
Though the decision was taken on September 16, it was made public earlier this week.
Justice Banerjee is the second CJ of the Madras High Court to have been recommended for a transfer to Meghalaya in the past two years.
In 2019, the then CJ V.K. Tahilramani resigned in protest after she was transferred to Meghalaya.
Justice Banerjee’s transfer within 10 months of his assuming office had prompted 31 senior advocates of the Madras High Court to submit a representation to the Collegium. The lawyers and the Bar told the Collegium that the “constant transfers and postings have left the Madras High Court in a state of constant flux.”
