Department of Information and Public Relations

Press Release No. 135/15

HONBLE CHIEF JUSTICE OF MEGHALAYA HIGH COURT SWORN-IN

Shillong March, 19 2015: Justice Uma Nath Singh, Acting Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court and Patron-in-Chief of the Meghalaya State Legal Services Authority, having been appointed as Chief Justice of High Court of Meghalaya, has assumed the charge of the office of the Chief Justice today, the 19th March, 2015 (FIN). Prior to that, he was senior most Judge in-charge of Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court from February 2012 to June 2014. He came on transfer to this High Court on 27.8.2014 as Acting Chief Justice.

Chief Justice Uma Nath Singh was born on 15.01.1954 and did his graduation from Ewing Christian College, Allahabad and Post Graduation in Political Science and Graduation in Law from the University of Allahabad. He enrolled as advocate by Bar Council, Delhi on 23rd April, 1982 and Registered as advocate on Record of the Supreme Court of India in March, 1987. He practised in the Supreme Court of India for more than 19 years in all type of cases and was a panel counsel for Railways, BHEL, MMTC and Union of India. He was a senior panel counsel for State of Uttar Pradesh in the Supreme Court of India and for Union of India in Delhi High Court and worked as Central Govt. Counsel to handle Bhopal Gas Leak Disaster case. He was advocate on record and standing counsel for State of Madhya Pradesh since October 1988 till elevation to Bench and also advocate on record and standing counsel for State of Chattisgarh since December, 2000.

Chief Justice Uma Nath Singh appeared for Patna High Court and M.P. High Court in their cases before the Supreme Court. He was elevated as Additional Judge in Madhya Pradesh High Court on 22.10.2001. He took oath as permanent Judge in April, 2002 and was Administrative Judge of Districts: Damoh, Gwalior, Chattarpur, Ratlam, Khandwa and Khargon in Madhya Pradesh. He was a Member of Administrative Committee and HJS Selection Committee and also High Court's representative Judge to M.P. Public Service commission to interview candidates for selection to the post of Civil Judge. He has experience of working for about one year in each of three Benches of M.P. High Court namely, Jabalpur, Gwalior and Indore.

Chief Justice Uma Nath Singh took oath as Judge of Punjab & Haryana High Court on 02.12.2004 and was Chairman of Punjab & Haryana High Court Building Committee apart from being Chairman and Member of other committees and was Administrative Judge of Sonepat, Kuruskhetra, Karnal & Panipat, and Panchkula districts in Haryana, and Jalandhar and Ludhiana districts in Punjab. He took oath as a Judge of Allahabad High Court on 30.06.2009.

Chief Justice Uma Nath Singh was Senior-most Judge-In-charge of Lucknow Seat of Allahabad High Court from February, 2012 to June, 2014 and member of High Court Administrative Committee and was Executive Chairman of U. P. State Legal Services Authority. He was Ex-officio Chairman of Local Committee of governors, La martiniere College Boys and Girls), Lucknow and member of Executive Council of King George Medical University, Lucknow and Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidhyapith University, Varanasi. He was Chairman of U.P. Advisory Board (Detention) under National Security Act, 1980, Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances Act, and Conservation of Foreign Exchange & Prevention of Smuggling Activities, (COFEPOSA) Act, 1974.

Chief Justice Uma Nath Singh was Chairman of Committee for appointment of Law Clerks (Trainee) at Lucknow Bench and Competent Authority to grant approval under the provisions of Section 20(v)(b) of Allahabad High Court ( Right to Information) Rules, 2006 and was Chairman of High Court Legal Services Sub-Committee, Lucknow Bench, and Judge Incharge, Judicial Education, Institute of Judicial Training and Research, U.P., Lucknow. He was also Administrative Judge of Lucknow, Agra and Barabanki in U.P and was Chairman of Committee for grant of super time pay scale to HJS Officers and Committee on premature transfer of judges. He was a member of committee for designation of HJS Officers as District Judge. He has authored a large number of judgments reported and unreported relating to almost all important jurisdictions and branches of law.

Chief Justice Uma Nath Singh took Oath as Judge of High Court of Meghalaya on 27th August, 2014 and appointed as Chief Justice(Acting) w.e.f. the date of assuming his office vide Notification No.K-11019/01/2014-US.I dated 27th August, 2014 issued by Joint Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Law & Justice ( Department of Justice), New Delhi.