A. Justice Bindal as the New Chief Justice at Allahabad High Court
The President on Saturday appointed Justice Rajesh Bindal as the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court — one of the oldest high courts established in India. The oath ceremony was expected to be held on Monday. The appointment came less than a month after the Supreme Court collegium cleared his name for elevation. Justice Bindal was the senior-most Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and was currently the Acting Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court before joining as Chief Justice. Justice Bindal was Acting Chief Justice of the Jammu & Kashmir High Court prior to this.
B. Landmark work
Among other important cases, Justice Bindal had headed the five-Judge Bench that delivered verdict on the Kolkata post-poll violence. Justice Bindal was recently appointed as chairperson of a committee constituted by the Supreme Court’s e-committee to formulate modern electronic registers for use by the district judiciary across the country. The effort is to replace all manual registers or paper records. As chairman of a committee constituted by National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), Justice Bindal has already submitted a report on optimal use of technology, including use of Artificial Intelligence.
Known for his proficiency in bringing justice closer to people through computerization, Justice Bindal was instrumental in launching a unique project, in which the post offices in Jammu and Kashmir help in delivering justice. The project uses the pre-existent postal system in 11 districts to allow citizens to register their disputes through the local post offices as well as common service centres.
Justice Bindal was elevated as a Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on March 22, 2006, and remained chairman of a committee for framing draft rules for electronic evidence. The report was submitted to the Supreme Court in November 2018. As chairman of a multi-member committee constituted by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development to study civil aspects of International Child Abduction Bill-2016, Justice Bindal submitted report accompanied by the recommendations and draft of the Protection of Children (Inter-Country Removal and Retention) Bill-2018 to the Ministry in April 2018.
Before his transfer to High Court of Jammu and Kashmir in November 2018, he disposed of around 80,000 cases.
Earlier in September, the three-member Collegium headed by Chief Justice of India, N V Ramana and comprising Justices UU Lalit and A M Khanwilkar recommended the then acting Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court Rajesh Bindal be transferred as the Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court.
C. Education and Legal Practice
- Born on 16th April, 1961 at Ambala City in the State of Haryana (India). He did LL.B. from Kurukshetra University in 1985 and joined profession in High Court of Punjab & Haryana in September 1985.
- He represented Chandigarh Administration before Central Administrative Tribunal for more than a decade till 2004. He represented Punjab & Haryana regions of Employees Provident Fund Organization before the High Court and Central Administrative Tribunal
- from 1992 till his elevation. He remained associated, on behalf of State of Haryana, in settlement of the dispute concerning Satluj Yamuna Water with State of Punjab before Hon’ble Eradi Tribunal and Hon’ble the Supreme Court. He represented Income-tax
- Department, Haryana region before the High Court. He was elevated as a Judge of High Court of Punjab & Haryana on March 22, 2006.
- He remained Chairman of the Committee constituted pursuant to Resolution No. 7 adopted in the Chief Justices’ Conference, 2016 for framing Draft Rules for Electronic Evidence and submitted his report to Hon’ble the Supreme Court in November 2018.
- During his tenure in Punjab and Haryana High Court, he disposed of around 80,000 cases. Before his transfer to High Court of Jammu and Kashmir, he was heading various Committees including Computer Committee, Arrears Committee.
- Appointed as Acting Chief Justice of the Common High Court for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh vide Notification No. K.11019/07/2020-US.II dated 8th December,2020.
- Transferred as a Judge of the High Court at Calcutta vide Notification No. K. 13015/06/2020-US.I dated 31st December,2020 and was sworn in as a Judge of the High Court at Calcutta on January 5, 2021.
- Appointed to perform the duties of the office of the Chief Justice of the High Court at Calcutta with effect from 29th April, 2021 vide Notification No. K-11019/04/2021-US.II dated 27.04.2021
- Took oath as Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court on Oct, 11, 2021.
