JAMMU, Oct 11: President of India today appointed Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey as Chief Justice of Common High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh and transferred incumbent Chief Justice Pankaj Mithal as Chief Justice of the High Court of Rajasthan.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (1) of Article 217 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey, Judge of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to be Chief Justice of the High Court of J&K and Ladakh with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office”, read a notification issued by Department of Justice of Union Ministry of Law and Justice.Another notification read: “In exercise of the power conferred by clause (1) of Article 222 of the Constitution of India, the President, after consultation with the Chief Justice of India, is pleased to transfer Justice Pankaj Mithal, Chief Justice of High Court of J&K and Ladakh as Chief Justice of the High Court of Rajasthan and to direct him to assume charge of the office”.
The elevation of Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey as Chief Justice was recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium on September 28, 2022.Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha will administer oath to Justice Magrey as Chief Justice on October 13 (Thursday) at Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) Srinagar at 10 am.
Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey was appointed as Permanent Judge of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir vide Notification No. K.13021/01/2012-US.II dated 7th March, 2013 and he took oath of office on 8th March, 2013.
Earlier, he was enrolled as Advocate in the year 1984 and started practicing law in the District Courts, including Revenue Courts/Tribunals and simultaneously started conducting matters in the High Court. He served as Standing Counsel from 1986 onwards for the State Financial Corporation; Jammu & Kashmir Bank and SIDCO; Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences; Power Development Department; Service Selection Board and Jammu & Kashmir Wakf Board.He was appointed as Additional Advocate General in February 2003 with allocation of General Administration Department, Health and Medical Education Department, Service Selection Board, State Public Service Commission, Estates Department, SKIMS and Vigilance Department and was appointed as Senior Additional Advocate General in September 2009 with additional charge of Home Department.
He appeared and conducted important criminal, Division Bench and Full Bench matters involving important questions of law, on behalf of the State in the High Court as also in numerous appeals in the Supreme Court of India. He had also appeared and conducted important Public Interest Litigation matters, Constitutional matters, service matters, tax matters, civil matters involving high stakes and important issues, arbitration matters and appeared in Commissions of Inquiry also on behalf of erstwhile State of J&K etc.
It is pertinent to mention here that Justice Pankaj Mithal was appointed as Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on December 31,2020.Justice Pankaj Mithal was enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh in 1985 and practiced before the Allahabad High Court until 2006 when he was elevated as an Additional Judge of that High Court. He became Permanent Judge in 2008.“With elevation of Justice Magrey to the post of Chief Justice and transfer of Justice Pankaj Mithal, there will be one vacancy in the High Court of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh”, source confirmed.
