It has been more than a month since the Supreme Court collegium recommended the appointment of Justice G.S. Sandhavaliya as Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, but uncertainty remains as the Center is yet to notify his appointment.

In fact, the communication seeking the mandatory consent of the Himachal CM for the promotion of Justice Sandhavalya has not been received by the state government, indicating that the Center is yet to fulfill this mandatory requirement.

Meanwhile, the Center has appointed senior HC judge Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan as acting chief justice, further signaling a delay in Justice Sandhawalia’s promotion. The post fell vacant after CJ Rajeev Shakdher resigned on October 18 after reaching retirement age. CJ Shakdera’s tenure was also short-lived due to the long delay in notifying his appointment.

His appointment as chairman was initially recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium to the Center on July 11.

However, his actual appointment was delayed due to “procedural issues”. On September 21, this was finally confirmed by the Department of Justice, and on September 25, he was sworn in as Chief Justice, reducing his term to 24 days.

On July 11, the bench also recommended Justice Sandhavalya’s name to the Center for his appointment as Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court. But the panel took up the recommendation last month. In reversing its earlier decision, the bench recommended the appointment of Justice Sandhavalia, the first senior judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, as the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court after the retirement of Justice Shakdhera.

The delays in notification of appointments, despite the clear recommendations of the Collegium, are part of larger concerns over executive abuses and frequent delays in judicial appointments, which have often resulted in judicial vacancies affecting the efficiency of courts across the country.

The Supreme Court has repeatedly expressed the need for faster confirmations, while simultaneously expressing concerns about the impact of such delays on the administration of justice. The infighting between the executive and judiciary over the issue of appointments has gained attention in recent times, with the judiciary repeatedly calling on the government to speed up the process.