Centre notifies appointment of two judicial officers as Patna HC judges

New Delhi: Acting swiftly on the recommendations made by the CJI D.Y. Chandrachud-headed Supreme Court Collegium, the Centre on Tuesday cleared the appointment of two judicial officers as judges of the Patna High Court.

A notification by the Union Ministry of Law and Justice said that Shashi Bhushan Prasad Singh and Ashok Kumar Pandey have been appointed as Patna HC judges by the President.

"In exercise of the power conferred by clause (1) of Article 217 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint S/Shri (i) Shashi Bhushan Prasad Singh and ii) Ashok Kumar Pandey to be Judges of the Patna High Court, in that order of seniority, with effect from the date they assume charge of their respective offices," the notification said.

Last week, the Supreme Court Collegium, headed by CJI Chandrachud, had recommended the appointment of two judicial officers as Patna High Court judges. The recommendation for the appointment of judicial officers Singh and Pandey as HC judges was made in May this year by the Chief Justice of the Patna High Court in consultation with his two senior-most colleagues.

The SC Collegium said that it has consulted the apex court judges conversant with the affairs of the Patna High Court to ascertain the fitness and suitability of the two candidates.

Singh, who joined the judicial service in May 1996, is presently working as Registrar (Vigilance) in the Patna High Court, said the SC Collegium, adding that "inputs provided by the Department of Justice in the file indicate that he enjoys a good personal and professional image and that nothing adverse has come to notice against his integrity". Pandey, who joined the judicial service in 1995, is currently working as Director of Bihar Judicial Academy.

"Both the consultee-Judges have found the candidate suitable for appointment as a High Court Judge. The inputs provided by the Department of Justice in the file indicate that he enjoys a good personal and professional image; and that nothing adverse has come to notice against his integrity," said the SC Collegium.

It stated that it found the judicial officers suitable for appointment, bearing in mind the views of the consultee-judge, the report of the Judgment Assessment Committee and the assessment made by the Centre in the file. Further, it said that the Chief Minister and the Governor of Bihar concurred with the recommendation.