Alok Singh
Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia has been appointed Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court. The central government finalized on Monday on 23 December, 2024, following the Supreme Court Collegium’s recommendation in September 2024.
Before this, Justice Sandhawalia was a senior Punjab and Haryana High Court judge. This appointment tracks a sequence of revisions by the Collegium.
He was initially proposed as Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court. However, the decision was modified in September, recommending him instead for the Himachal Pradesh High Court after the retirement of Justice Rajiv Shakdher in October 2024.
Justice Sandhawalia was elevated to the Bench as an additional Punjab and Haryana High Court judge on September 30, 2011. Later, he was confirmed as a permanent judge on January 24, 2014.
Justice Sandhawalia has presided over key cases, including one concerning the PM CARES Fund in an appeal against a single judge’s order and another affirming that a Representative of People must have clear antecedents.
Justice Sandhawalia’s appointment as Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court follows a series of decisions by the Supreme Court Collegium. His tenure will be closely observed as he takes charge after the retirement of Justice Rajiv Shakdher.