The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended nine advocates for appointment as judges of the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court, excluding former Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta.
SC Collegium Recommends 9 Lawyers for J&K and Ladakh HC
The Supreme Court Collegium, in a meeting held on October 29, recommended the appointment of nine senior advocates as judges of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. The appointees are Vishal Sharma, Vikram Kumar Sharma, Namgyal Wangchuk, Pawan Kumar Kundal, Tahir Majid Shamsi, Tabasum Zafar, Amit Gupta, Pranav Kohli, and a woman advocate whose name is withheld in public interest. Notably, the Collegium dropped the name of former Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, despite prior recommendations.
The decision underscores the Collegium’s emphasis on regional representation and professional diversity. Among the recommended, several have expertise in constitutional, criminal, and public interest law, with substantial practice in the Jammu & Kashmir region. The exclusion of a senior law officer from the list may signal a shift in judicial appointment criteria, possibly prioritizing independence and grass-roots experience.
The recommendations will now be sent to the President of India for formal appointment under Article 217 of the Constitution. The move aims to fill long-pending vacancies and improve judicial capacity in a strategically sensitive jurisdiction. The appointment process continues to draw scrutiny for transparency, with ongoing calls for reforming the Collegium system.
