Justice Manmohan takes oath as Supreme Court judge
Justice Manmohan was sworn in as the full-time chief justice of the Delhi hight court on September 29 after serving as the acting chief justice following Justice Satish Chandra Sharma’s elevation
Justice Manmohan took oath as a Supreme Court judge on Thursday, taking the court’s strength to just one short of the sanctioned 34 judges. Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna administered the oath to Justice Manmohan, who served as the Delhi high court chief justice before his elevation.
Justice Manmohan’s appointment was notified after President Draupadi Murmu issued the warrant of appointment on December 3. The Supreme Court collegium recommended the elevation on November 28.
Justice Manmohan’s appointment enhances the representation of the Delhi high court. CJI Khanna was earlier the only judge from the Delhi high court.
The collegium comprising the CJI and justices Bhushan R Gavai, Surya Kant, Hrishikesh Roy, and Abhay S Oka noted the representation of the Delhi high court while recommending Justice Manmohan’s elevation. The resolution of the collegium for the elevation factored in his seniority and regional representation. “Justice Manmohan stands at Sl. No. 2 [serial number two] in the combined all-India seniority of high court judges and he is the senior-most judge in the high court of Delhi. While recommending his name, the collegium has taken into consideration the fact that, at present, the bench of [the] Supreme Court is represented by only one judge from the Delhi HC.”
The Supreme Court has had a fair representation of the Delhi high court judges. They included justices S Ravindra Bhat, Sanjay Kishan Kaul, and Hima Kohli, the last to retire in September.
Justice Manmohan was born on December 17, 1962, in Delhi. His father, the late Jagmohan, was a bureaucrat and politician. Justice Manmohan completed his schooling at Delhi’s Modern School. He graduated with a BA (Hons) in History from the University of Delhi’s Hindu College. He studied law at the University of Delhi’s Campus Law Centre. In 1987, he began his career specialising in civil, criminal, constitutional, and arbitration matters.
Justice Manmohan was designated a senior advocate in 2003. He handled cases such as Hyderabad Nizam’s Jewellery Trust matter. In 2008, Justice Manmohan was elevated as an additional high court judge. He was confirmed a year later as a permanent Judge.
Justice Manmohan served as the acting chief justice after Justice Satish Chandra Sharma’s elevation to the Supreme Court in November 2023. He was sworn in as the full-time Delhi high court chief justice on September 29.