Delhi High Court Getting First Woman Chief Justice Is Historic

Delhi High Court Got For The First Time A Woman As The Chief Justice, Which Is One Among The Most Prestigious Public Office In India. President Pranab Mukherjee Recently Cleared The Decks For Appointment Of Justice G Rohini Of The Andhra Pradesh High Court To Head The Delhi High Court As Chief Justice After The Supreme Court Collegium Headed By Chief Justice Of India P Sathasivam Recommended Her Name Who Was The Senior-Most Judge Of The Andhra Pradesh High Court. This Is Truly Historic From All Angles And Women’s Empowerment Issue Will Get A Big Boost From This.

Needless To Add, While Delhi High Court Has Led On Many Fronts, It Has Lagged Way Behind Other High Courts In Not Having A Woman At The Helm Of Affairs As Chief Justice Ever Since It Came Into Being Many Decades Ago. But Now That Endless Wait Is Over And Delhi High Court Too Has A Woman At The Top As Chief Justice Just Like Other High Courts! Undoubtedly, The Delhi High Court Had Sent From Its Ranks The First Woman To Become The Chief Justice Of A High Court All Over India For The First Time—Justice Leila Seth Who Headed The Himachal High Court A Long Time Back. But A Woman Chief Justice Had Eluded Delhi High Court Till Now!

On April 21, 2014, Justice G Rohini Formally Assumed Charge As The First Woman Chief Justice Of Delhi High Court. It Is 47 Years After The Delhi High Court Was Established In October 1966 That This Historic Day Has Finally Come. Sangita Dhingra Sehgal, Who Is Registrar General Of The High Court, Disclosed That Justice G Rohini Is The Seniormost Judge Of The Andhra Pradesh High Court Who Reached Delhi On April 18, 2014, And Took Charge On April 21.

Justice G Rohini, Who Is Born In 1955, Will Be The 10th Woman Judge Among The 40 Judges In The Delhi High Court. She Is Anticipated To Stay For A Relatively Long Period Of Four Years Even If Not Elevated To The Supreme Court. Of Course, Her Tenure Can Cut Short If She Is Elevated To The Supreme Court Because Of Her Sheer Merit And Competency For Which She Is Already Renowned All Over! Currently, Only Two Judges In The Apex Court Are Women. Justice Rohini Studied At Osmania University In Hyderabad.

Welcoming Her Appointment, Delhi High Court Bar Association Has Said The Move Will Encourage Women To Take Up Law As A Career And Also Give A Boost To Woman Lawyers. Delhi High Court Bar Association President Rajiv Khosla Said: “The Bar Is Very Happy To Get A Woman Chief Justice.” In Fact, The Whole Nation Is Happy Because Delhi In Last Few Years Has Been In News For Increasing Crimes Against Women. We All Know How The Nirbhaya Rape Case In Delhi Had Shaken The Entire Nation And Compelled The Centre To Make Offences Against Women Stricter.

Rajiv Khosla Further Said: “We Feel Elated. The Bar Will Bring To Her Notice Of Some Of The Long-Pending Problems That We Hope She Can Resolve. For Instance, Appointments Of Arbitrators, Court Commissioner, Receivers Are An Important Issue For Us. The Bar Stands For Equal Opportunity To Practice And Demands Transparency In The Judicial System. We Are Sure Her Presence In High Court Will Help Us.” G. Rohini’s Clean And Impeccable Image And Excellent Track Record Will Undoubtedly Work In Her Favour And It Is Heartening To Note That The Delhi High Court Bar Too Has Welcomed Her With Open Arms.

Justice Rohini Was Born On April 14, 1955, At Visakhapatnam In Andhra Pradesh. She Is A Science Graduate From Osmania University. Later, She Obtained Her Law Degree With First Class From College Of Law, Andhra University. During Her More Than A Two-Decade Long Brilliant Career As A Lawyer That Began In 1980, She Was Associated With Several Public Issues As Also Labour And Service Matters.

Her Rich Experience As A Lawyer Includes Practicing Not Just In The Andhra Pradesh High Court But Also In Administrative Tribunals And Civil Courts. Not Stopping Here, She Excelled In Writing Also With Her Pen And Had A Stint With Legal Journalism When She Was A Reporter Of Andhra Pradesh Law Journals. In 1985, She Became The Executive Editor Of The Journals. All This Demonstrates How Much Learned And All-Round Skills She Has.

As If This Was Not Enough, Justice Rohini Has Also Been A Government Pleader In The Andhra Pradesh High Court, Where She Showed Her All-Round Skills Time And Again. She Was Elevated From This Post To The Bench And Was Appointed An Additional Judge On June 25, 2001. On July 31, 2002 She Was Made A Permanent Judge. Her Integrity Has Always Been Unimpeachable And Never For Once Has She Ever Come Under A Scanner On Any Account Whatsoever. One Hopes She Will Man This Very Prestigious Post Of Delhi High Court Chief Justice With Consummate Ease And Come Out With Flying Colours Just Like She Has Done Always In Her Life And Ultimately It Is The People Who Seek Relief And Justice From Delhi High Court Who Will Be The Biggest Beneficiaries In The Whole Process.

By Sanjeev Sirohi