If Collegium recommendation goes through, Justice Sunita Agarwal will be the only woman Chief Justice of a High Court
The Supreme Court Collegium uploaded a slew of resolutions late Wednesday night, recommending new Chief Justices for seven different High Courts.
Among these is the recommendation to elevate Allahabad High Court judge Justice Sunita Agarwal as Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court.
If the Central government green signals the recommendation, Justice Agarwal will currently the be only woman Chief Justice of a High Court. While disclosing the reasons behind recommending Justice Agarwal's name, the resolution states,
"On the appointment of Ms Justice Sunita Agarwal, the Allahabad High Court would have a second Chief Justice among the Chief Justices of the High Courts. Besides, while considering the name of Ms Justice Sunita Agarwal, the Collegium has taken into consideration the fact that she would be the only woman Chief Justice of a High Court as presently there is no woman among the Chief Justices of the High Courts."
The last Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court was also a woman; Justice Sonia Gokani had a short tenure before her retirement in February this year. Subsequently, Justice Ashish Desai took over as Acting Chief Justice. Justice Desai has now been recommended for elevation as Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court.
Justice Agarwal graduated from Awadh University in the year 1989 and enrolled as an advocate on December 16, 1990. She was elevated as an additional judge of the Allahabad High Court on November 21, 2011 and took oath as a permanent judge on August 6, 2013.