New Delhi: The latest round of judicial appointments has filled the remaining vacancies in the leadership of the country’s High Courts, with all 25 High Courts now having permanent Chief Justices after several had been functioning under acting CJs in recent months.
As many as seven High Courts were being headed by acting Chief Justices as of July 20, 2026. The situation arose largely because of routine transfers and retirements, as well as the elevation of four High Court Chief Justices to the Supreme Court following the increase in the sanctioned strength of the apex court.
Seven High Courts Were Functioning Under Acting CJs
The High Courts that had been functioning with acting Chief Justices included the Bombay High Court, Punjab and Haryana High Court, Madhya Pradesh High Court, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court, Patna High Court, Rajasthan High Court and Calcutta High Court.
The unusually high number of acting CJs over the preceding two months was linked to several developments in the higher judiciary.
One of the key factors was the expansion of the Supreme Court’s sanctioned strength from 33 to 37 judges, excluding the Chief Justice of India, through the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 2026.
Following the expansion, four High Court Chief Justices were elevated to the Supreme Court. Their elevation resulted in sudden vacancies in the respective High Courts, requiring the appointment of acting Chief Justices until permanent appointments were made.
Three other High Courts were functioning under acting Chief Justices following the retirement of their respective incumbent CJs.
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Five Chief Justice Appointments Recommended by Collegium
Against the backdrop of vacancies in seven High Courts, the Supreme Court Collegium recommended a series of appointments to restore permanent leadership.
Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra, who had been serving as Acting Chief Justice, was recommended for appointment as Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Delhi High Court judge Justice V Kameswar Rao was recommended as Chief Justice of the Patna High Court.
Allahabad High Court judge Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi was recommended as Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court.
Justice R V Ghuge, who had been serving as Acting Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court, was recommended for appointment as Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court.
The Collegium also recommended Orissa High Court judge Justice Krushna Ram Mohapatra as Chief Justice of the High Court of Chhattisgarh.
His recommendation was made in view of the retirement of incumbent Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha on September 4, 2026.
Madhya Pradesh and J&K High Courts Also Get Permanent CJs
The Collegium separately recommended Gujarat High Court judge Justice Alpesh Yeshvant Kogje for appointment as Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court.
It also recommended Rajasthan High Court judge Justice Pushpendra Singh Bhati as Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
These appointments addressed the leadership vacancies that had left the two High Courts functioning under acting Chief Justices.
Centre Notifies Appointments
The Centre notified the appointments of the recommended judges on September 5, 2026.
With the latest appointments, all 25 High Courts across the country now have permanent Chief Justices, bringing an end to the period during which seven High Courts had been functioning under acting CJs.
The appointments also come amid a broader phase of transition in the higher judiciary, with several Chief Justices set to retire later this year.
Three More High Court Chief Justices Set to Retire in 2026
The changes in High Court leadership are not expected to end with the latest appointments.
At least three more Chief Justices are expected to retire from service during 2026.
They include Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta of the Uttarakhand High Court, Chief Justice Harish Tandon of the Orissa High Court and Chief Justice M S Sonak of the Jharkhand High Court.
Their retirements are expected to lead to another round of changes in the leadership of the respective High Courts later this year.
Expansion of Supreme Court Strength Triggered Leadership Changes
The recent developments underline how changes at the Supreme Court level can have a direct impact on the leadership structure of the High Courts.
The increase in the Supreme Court’s sanctioned strength from 33 to 37 judges, excluding the Chief Justice of India, resulted in the elevation of four High Court Chief Justices to the apex court.
Their movement to the Supreme Court created vacancies at the High Court level, while retirements of other Chief Justices added to the number of courts requiring interim leadership.
The latest Collegium recommendations and the Centre’s subsequent notifications have now restored permanent leadership across all 25 High Courts, although further changes are expected with the scheduled retirements of three more Chief Justices before the end of 2026.
