New Delhi: Justice Manmohan was sworn in as a Supreme Court judge on Thursday, bringing the court’s strength to one less than the full complement of 34 judges.
The Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna, administered the oath to Justice Manmohan, who previously held the position of chief justice at the Delhi High Court before his promotion.
The announcement of Justice Manmohan’s appointment followed the issuance of the warrant of appointment by President Draupadi Murmu on December 3. The Supreme Court collegium had recommended his elevation on November 28.
With Justice Manmohan’s elevation, the representation from the Delhi High Court in the Supreme Court has increased. Prior to this, CJI Khanna was the sole representative from the Delhi High Court.
The collegium, which includes CJI Khanna and Justices Bhushan R Gavai, Surya Kant, Hrishikesh Roy, and Abhay S Oka, acknowledged the representation from the Delhi High Court in their recommendation for Justice Manmohan’s elevation. The collegium’s resolution considered his seniority and the need for regional representation. “Justice Manmohan is ranked second in the combined all-India seniority of high court judges and is the most senior judge from the High Court of Delhi. In recommending him, the collegium has also taken into account that currently, the Supreme Court bench includes only one judge from the Delhi High Court.”
The Supreme Court has fairly represented judges from the Delhi High Court, including Justices S Ravindra Bhat, Sanjay Kishan Kaul, and Hima Kohli, with the latter retiring in September.
Justice Manmohan was born on December 17, 1962, in Delhi. His father, Jagmohan, was a bureaucrat and politician. Justice Manmohan attended Modern School in Delhi, graduated with a BA (Hons) in History from Hindu College, University of Delhi, and pursued law at the University’s Campus Law Centre. He began his legal career in 1987, specializing in civil, criminal, constitutional, and arbitration matters.
In 2003, Justice Manmohan was appointed as a senior advocate and handled significant cases, including the Hyderabad Nizam’s Jewellery Trust case. He was appointed as an additional judge of the high court in 2008 and became a permanent judge the following year.
After Justice Satish Chandra Sharma was elevated to the Supreme Court in November 2023, Justice Manmohan served as the acting chief justice. He took the oath as the full-time chief justice of the Delhi High Court on September 29.
