Full Profile : Born on March 28, 1944.Graduated from S.D. College (Lahore), Ambala Cantt. (Haryana) and obtained Law Degree from Punjab University, Department of Laws, Chandigarh. Started practice in 1968 in High Court of Himachal Pradesh and appeared in number of important cases before Supreme Court of India.Specialised in Constitutional, Service Law, Criminal Law and Civil Law.
Advocate General
Appointed as Advocate General for the State of Himachal Pradesh in the year 1988.
Held Offices as
Chairman, Bar Council of Himachal Pradesh from 1983 to 9.10.1988 besides being member of the Bar Council for Fifteen Years.
- Chairman, Enrolment Committee.
- Secretary, Enrolment Committee.
- Member, Election Committee.
- Member, Law Drafting Committee etc.
President of High Court Bar Association
In High Court Bar Association, Shimla, officiated as:
President of for four terms.
Twice as Vice-President.
Secretary and Treasurer.
President, High Court House Building Cooperative Society
Officiated as President of High Court Lawyers, Housing Building Cooperative Society.
Assistant Professor In Laws
Served as Assistant Professor in Law for about 16 years in Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla.
Legal Advisor And Standing Counsel
Appointed as Legal Advisor and Standing Counsel for :
Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla.
Himachal Pradesh Agriculture University.
Dr. Y.S.Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry.
Himachal Pradesh Khadi and Village Industries Board.
Kangra Central Co-operative Bank Limited in Himachal Pradesh.
High Court and the State Administrative Tribunal.
Counsel in H.P. High Court for Punjab State.
Member Of H.P. University Court & Other Bodies
Nominated as :
Member, Himachal Pradesh University Court.
Member, Board of Studies in Law, H.P. University and Examiner in Law.
Member, State Food Advisory Board for effective implementation of Food Adulteration Act, 1954.
Member, Law Reporting Council, Indian Law Reports (Himachal Series); Member, Himachal Pradesh Telecom Advisory Committee from legal profession.
Governing Member, Bar Association of India, New Delhi.
Panel Judge, Himachal Pradesh State Lotteries.
Participation In Conferences/Seminars
Participated in many Conferences/Seminars at the State and National Level on important subjects including Environment and Ecology, Criminal Justice System in India, Gender Law, Drug Trafficking and Corruption, Courts and Society etc.
Representation Before Finance Commission
Represented legal profession and pleaded for liberal financial allocations to the State for a special grant to the High Court of Himachal Pradesh to enable it to provide for adequate accommodation for Library, Bar Association, establishment of more Courts in the State.
Representation In Centre-State Relations Commission
Invited to represent legal profession by Justice R.S. Sarkaria, Chairman, Centre-State Relations Commission. Pleaded for a strong Centre and liberal financial grants to State keeping in view its commitments to the people and that developing States should be given more grants as compared to the developed States. Submitted a memorandum to the Commission on points in issue before it.
Representation In Parliamentary Commitee Of Lok Pal Bill
Invited by Parliamentary Committee on Lok Pal Bill in the capacity of Chairman, Bar Council of Himachal Pradesh and President, High Court Bar Association to represent views on the proposed legislation.
Plaque Of Honour
Awarded Plaque of Honour in appreciation of the services rendered to the Legal Profession as Silver Jubilee Chairman, State Bar Council of Himachal Pradesh by the Bar Council of India and its Trust, New Delhi. Again, Plaque of Honour was awarded by Bar Council of India Trust for distinguished services to the legal profession as Judge and Acting Chief Justice.
Appointment As Permanent Judge
Appointed permanent Judge of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh on December 16, 1988.
Acting Chief Justice
Discharged duties of the office of Chief Justice of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir High Court as an Acting Chief Justice for 13 times, over a total period of 2 years.
Award
Awarded National Law Day Award 2000 for unique contribution in the field of administration of justice and for winning the hearts of the public at a time when the terrorists threatened the public of Jammu and Kashmir not to approach the courts.
Appointment As Chief Justice
Appointed Chief Justice of Jammu & Kashmir High Court on June 16, 1997, when the State was passing through serious militancy conditions. Judicial system was in complete shambles. No work culture existed in any Courts in the State, some of them were either closed and 29 burnt by the militants. Work culture was restored in all the Courts. Re-construction of Courts undertaken. Since 1992, Kashmir Bar Association used to boycott the Court of Chief Justice if appointed from outside the State of Jammu & Kashmir. For the first time, this boy-cot was got withdrawn. Punctuality in the functioning of the Courts was ensured and judicial system started functioning very well. Relations between the Bench and the Bar were most cordial and most difficult issues were settled amicably with each other�s co-operation. As a result, one lakh cases were decided in the High Court itself.
Hoisted the National Flag on High Court Buildings at Srinagar which was forbidden for the past 11 years due to threats by Militant Organisations. During the Kargil War, visited the area despite firing from Pakistan side to reach Kargil where residence of Chief Judicial Magistrate and Judicial Court Complex had been shelled by Pakistan. Kargil town had been vacated and the Court was shifted to Shanku temporarily, at a distance of 41 kms. away from firing range. Did not leave Srinagar during this period despite bereavement of parents one after other within a period of two months.
Completed service of more than 141/2 years, and till date not a single day leave has been taken.
Elevated as Chief Justice, High Court of Madhya Pradesh on February 24, 2000.
Transferred as Chief Justice, High Court of Gujarat on August 25, 2003.
Retired on March 28, 2006.
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