दिल्ली हाई कोर्ट में सात नए न्यायाधीश, कार्यशक्ति में कमी घटेगी

The Delhi High Court has gained seven new judges in a move that could reshape the handling of thousands of cases across the Capital, from criminal appeals and commercial disputes to family matters, public-interest litigation and challenges involving government decisions.

Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya administered the oath to Nivedita Anil Sharma, Nisha Sahay Saxena, Sanjay Sharma, Bharat Parashar, Aditi Choudhary, Dinesh Bhatt and Arun Bhardwaj on Monday. Their elevation takes the High Court's working strength to 50 against a sanctioned strength of 60, narrowing a major judicial-capacity gap but leaving 10 posts vacant.

The appointments are significant because all seven have extensive experience in Delhi's district judiciary. Nivedita Sharma and Nisha Saxena have been appointed permanent judges, while five, including Parashar, have been appointed additional judges.

Bharat Parashar is the most prominent name in the batch. In 2014, the Supreme Court directed the appointment of a Delhi Higher Judicial Service officer as the exclusive special judge for cases related to coal-block allocations, and Parashar was appointed to the role. He was the one who summoned ex-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in a coal-block case.

He later served in senior judicial and administrative roles, including at the National Legal Services Authority and the Supreme Court.

Arun Bhardwaj brings another layer of institutional experience. Immediately before elevation, he was the Delhi High Court's Registrar General. Sanjay Sharma, Nisha Saxena and Dinesh Bhatt have held senior district and sessions positions, while the batch also includes experienced women judicial officers Nivedita Sharma and Aditi Choudhary.

The appointments close only part of Delhi HC's capacity deficit. The court's sanctioned strength is 60, meaning one in six sanctioned positions remains vacant even after Monday's oath. The Supreme Court Collegium had recommended eight names on September 10, but the Centre cleared seven, with Gurvinder Pal Singh's appointment not included in the notification.

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