Delhi High Court Chief Justice Manmohan appointed as Supreme Court judge

Justice Manmohan, Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, has been appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court of India. The appointment was formalized following President Droupadi Murmu's approval, based on a recommendation from the Supreme Court collegium. His appointment brings the total number of Supreme Court judges to 33 out of a sanctioned strength of 34.

The Supreme Court collegium, led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, recommended Justice Manmohan’s elevation on November 28, 2023. The collegium, which includes Justices Bhushan R. Gavai, Surya Kant, Hrishikesh Roy, and Abhay S. Oka, cited considerations of seniority, merit, integrity, and representation from the Delhi High Court. Justice Manmohan was the senior-most judge from the Delhi High Court at the time of his appointment.

Born on December 17, 1962, Justice Manmohan is the son of Jagmohan Malhotra, a former Governor of Jammu & Kashmir and Lieutenant Governor of Delhi. He completed his schooling at Modern School, Barakhamba Road, and earned a BA (Hons) in History from Hindu College, University of Delhi. He obtained his law degree from the Campus Law Centre, University of Delhi, in 1987.

Justice Manmohan began practicing law in 1987 after enrolling with the Bar Council of Delhi. He specialized in civil, criminal, constitutional, and arbitration matters. In January 2003, he was designated as a senior advocate by the Delhi High Court. He was appointed as an additional judge of the Delhi High Court on March 13, 2008, and was made a permanent judge on December 17, 2009. He became the Acting Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court in November 2023 and was appointed Chief Justice in September 2024.

During his tenure at the Delhi High Court, Justice Manmohan delivered several significant judgments. He upheld the applicability of the GST on ride-hailing platforms in April 2023 and enforced a 50% statutory health warning on pan masala packaging in July 2024. He also directed reviews of Delhi’s state-run hospitals and took measures to address encroachments on the Yamuna floodplains and improve the city’s drainage systems.

Justice Manmohan’s elevation is part of the collegium’s broader effort to maintain representation from the Delhi High Court in the Supreme Court. Historically, the Delhi High Court has contributed several judges to the apex court, a tradition that continues with this appointment.