Srinagar
In a historic appointment, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court has got its first woman chief justice. Justice Gita Mittal, the acting Chief Justice of Delhi High Court, has been appointed as the Chief Justice of J&K High Court.
The government issued the notification in this regard on Friday. Along with the appointment of the Chief Justice, the J&K High Court has also got two judges, including a woman.
President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday issued warrants appointing advocate Sindhu Sharma and former district and sessions judge Rashid Ali Dar to the bench. Sindhu Sharma was working as Assistant Solicitor General of India in the High Court’s Jammu wing and was the first woman advocate to be appointed to the office.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 95 of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, the President is pleased to appoint Sindhu Sharma and Rashid Ali Dar to be judges of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court in that order of seniority, with effect from the date they assume charge of their respective offices,” a notification issued by the Union Law Ministry said on Friday.
The notification for the appointment of justice Mittal was also issued on Friday. “In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 95 of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, the President is pleased to appoint Kumari Justice Gita Mittal, judge of the Delhi High Court, to be the Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court with effect from the date she assumes charge of her office.”
An alumna of Campus Law Centre, Delhi University, Justice Mittal began practicing in 1981. She was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Delhi High Court in July, 2004, and was confirmed in February, 2006.
Justice Mittal, who took over as Acting Chief Justice after the retirement of Justice G Rohini in April last year, introduced many welcome changes in the functioning of the Delhi High Court.
Justice Mittal is also the first woman from the field of law and justice to be conferred the Nari Shakti Puraskar, India’s highest civilian honour for women. The Nari Shakti award is presented for exemplary service to the cause of upliftment of women.
