Supreme Court collegium set to recommend five judges for high court chief justice posts

The Supreme Court collegium is set to recommend five judges for appointment as chief justices of different high courts, as several courts continue to function under acting chief justices.

The recommendations, decided by the collegium headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and comprising Justices Vikram Nath and BV Nagarathna, are expected to be sent to the Union government shortly, people familiar with the matter said.

Five High Courts in line for permanent heads

The collegium has decided to re-recommend Delhi High Court judge Justice V Kameswar Rao as chief justice of the Patna High Court.

Two acting chief justices are also set to be recommended for permanent appointments in their respective courts. They are Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra for the Punjab and Haryana High Court and Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma for the Rajasthan High Court.

The other two recommendations involve appointments across high courts. Allahabad High Court judge Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi is set to be recommended as chief justice of the Bombay High Court, while Bombay High Court's acting chief justice Justice Ravindra Vithalrao Ghuge is proposed for the post of chief justice of the Calcutta High Court.

The collegium has not taken a decision on full-time chief justices for the Madhya Pradesh High Court and the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.

Several courts still have acting chief justices

The recommendations come at a time when a number of high courts are being headed by acting chief justices.

As per the position on August 1, Justice Ghuge had been serving as acting chief justice of the Bombay High Court since June 2, 2026. The Calcutta High Court has been headed by Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty as acting chief justice since June 21.

The Madhya Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh high courts have also had acting chief justices since June 2. Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra has been leading the Punjab and Haryana High Court in an acting capacity since June 2, while Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma has held the same position in Rajasthan since September 28, 2025.

Changes also expected in Supreme Court

The proposed appointments come as changes are also expected in the Supreme Court. The apex court currently has three vacancies.

Two more positions are scheduled to fall vacant later this year following the retirement of Justice Sanjay Karol on August 22 and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma on November 29.

Justice Karol was elevated to the Supreme Court on February 6, 2023, while Justice Sharma joined the apex court on November 9, 2023.