The Delhi High Court saw a full court reference on Thursday (August 8) to honour Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal who is set to be sworn in as the Chief Justice of Jammu & Kashmir High Court (the first woman judge to head that court) when she bid adieu to the court.

On her farewell, Acting Justice Mittal said: “The date July 16 is really lucky for me, as on July 16, 1981, I got enrolled as a lawyer. On July 16, 2004, I was sworn in as a judge of the Delhi High Court and on July 16, 2018 I was recommended for elevation as Chief Justice of Jammu & Kashmir High Court.”

Justice Mittal also said that she will miss Delhi not because she is leaving Delhi but because she is leaving behind many unaccomplished tasks.

She also had a word of advice to the budding lawyers and judges. “It isn’t about becoming a Justice or a Chief Justice but it is about enabling others as well to stand as tall as you,” Justice Mittal stated.

Meanwhile, Justice Rajender Menon today was sworn in by Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal as Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court.

However, Justice Rajender Menon will not add to the reducing strength of Justices of Delhi High Court as its Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal has been elevated as Chief Justice of Jammu & Kashmir High Court.

Delhi HC has a sanctioned strength of 60 Judges in which there should be 45 permanent judges at any given time but the high court is presently functioning by almost half of the its sanctioned strength.

Justice Menon, who was the Chief Justice of Patna High Court, was earlier a judge in the Gwalior Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court.

He was elevated as the Patna High Court Chief Justice in March last year. The Supreme Court Collegium had recommended the transfer of Justice Menon to Delhi High Court on July 16.

—India Legal Bureau