06-07-2023 : The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur, a judge from the Bombay High Court, as the new Chief Justice (CJ) of the Andhra Pradesh High Court. This appointment comes after the elevation of Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra to the Supreme Court, leaving the position of CJ of the Andhra Pradesh High Court vacant since May 19, 2023.
Justice Thakur, who completed his LLB from Jammu University, embarked on his legal career in 1989. He was enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council of Delhi and later transferred his enrolment to the Bar Council of Jammu and Kashmir in November 2010. On March 8, 2013, he was appointed as a judge of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir. Currently, he serves as the senior-most judge in the Bombay High Court, where he was posted in June 2022.
Assuming the role of Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, Justice Thakur will be the sixth CJ since the establishment of the court on January 1, 2019, following the bifurcation of the state. Prior to this appointment, Justice C. Praveen Kumar and the present CJ, Justice A.V. Sesha Sai, have served as acting CJs. Additionally, J.K. Maheswari, Prashant Kumar Mishra, and Arup Kumar Goswami have held the position of Chief Justice in the past, with the first two currently serving as judges in the Supreme Court.
The recommendation of Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur as the Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court by the Supreme Court Collegium signifies the trust and confidence placed in his capabilities and experience. It is expected that his appointment will contribute to the effective administration of justice and uphold the rule of law in the state of Andhra Pradesh.