New Era for Himachal’s Judiciary: Chief Justice Sandhawalia Takes Office at Raj Bhavan

Shimla, 29 December: Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia has been sworn in as the new Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh. The oath of office and secrecy was administered to him by Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla at a ceremony held at Raj Bhavan. The event was attended by several prominent dignitaries, including Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, ministers, and High Court judges, marking a significant moment in the state’s judicial landscape.

Prior to his appointment as the Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh, Justice Sandhawalia served at the Punjab-Haryana High Court. He had been acting as the Chief Justice of the Punjab-Haryana High Court since February 2024, following a recommendation from the Supreme Court Collegium to the Central Government.

After taking the oath, Justice Sandhawalia expressed his deep connection with Himachal, acknowledging the region’s shared history with Punjab and Haryana. He emphasized that Himachal, being a smaller state, experiences comparatively lower crime rates. Justice Sandhawalia assured that efforts would be made to ensure timely justice for all and prioritized addressing the backlog of pending cases in the judiciary.

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Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu also spoke at the ceremony, noting that the Himachal Pradesh High Court had recently welcomed new judges, who had transferred from the Chandigarh High Court. The Chief Minister congratulated them on behalf of the state government and spoke about the autonomy of the court in making decisions regarding the pending cases, affirming that the judicial process would continue to be handled at the court’s discretion.