New Delhi: The Centre on Friday notified the appointment of Justice Mahesh Sharadchandra Sonak, a judge of the Bombay High Court, as the new Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court, following the retirement of the incumbent Chief Justice on January 8.
According to a notification issued by the Union Ministry of Law and Justice, the President of India, exercising powers under the Constitution and in consultation with the Chief Justice of India (CJI), appointed Justice Sonak as the Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court.
The appointment is based on the recommendation of the Supreme Court Collegium headed by CJI Surya Kant, which had proposed Justice Sonak’s elevation in view of the impending retirement of incumbent Chief Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan.
Born on November 28, 1964, Justice Sonak completed his schooling at Don Bosco High School in Panaji, Goa. He holds a B.Sc. degree from Dhempe College of Arts and Science and an LL.B. degree from M.S. College of Law, Panaji, affiliated with Bombay University.
Justice Sonak enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa in October 1988. He practised at the Panaji Bench of the Bombay High Court, handling matters related to civil and constitutional law, labour and service law, environmental law, commercial and tax laws, company law, and public interest litigation.
During his legal career, he served as Additional Standing Counsel for the Central government and as Special Counsel for the State government and statutory bodies. He was elevated as an Additional Judge of the Bombay High Court on June 21, 2013.
Meanwhile, the Centre has also notified appointments and transfers of Chief Justices of the Kerala, Patna, and Meghalaya High Courts. However, the Collegium’s recommendation to appoint Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta of the Allahabad High Court as Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court is yet to be implemented.
With inputs from IANS