justice Geeta Mittal took oath as first woman Chief Justice of J&K
Srinagar: In a significant development, Justice Geeta Mittal on Saturday took oath as first woman Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court. The impressive oath ceremony was held at the Raj Bhavan where Governor N.N. Vohra administered Oath of Office to Justice Mittal as Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court. Earlier, Sindhu Sharma became the first woman judge of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court.
Pertinently, it is first time in 90-year-long history of Jammu and Kashmir High Court to host its first woman judge, as well as the first woman Chief Justice. High Court was established in 1928 during Dogra regime. In its 90-year-long existence, none of the 107 judges and CJs of the J&K High Court has been a woman.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by the section 95 of Jammu and Kashmir, the President is pleased to appoint Kumari Justice Gita Mittal Judge of Delhi High Court, to be the Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court with effect from the date she assumes charge of her office,” reads a notification issued by Union Ministry of Law and Justice last week. The Chief Justice’s chair in J&K was vacant after Badar Durrez Ahmad’s retirement in March.
On Saturday, Governor N.N. Vohra administered Oath of Office to Justice Gita Mittal. The Warrant of Appointment of Justice Mittal as Chief Justice of the J&K High Court was read out by the Registrar General of the High Court.
Among others Usha Vohra, First Lady; Dr. Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah, former Chief Ministers; Sh. B.B. Vyas, Sh. K Vijay Kumar and Sh. Khurshid Ahmad Ganai, Advisors to Governor; serving and retired Judges of Supreme Court and J&K High Court; Sh. BVR Subrahmanyam, Chief Secretary; Sh. D.C. Raina, Advocate General; Dr. S.P. Vaid, Director General of Police; high ranking Civil, Judicial and Police officers; senior Advocates; members of Justice Mittal’s family and a large number of her friends were present on the occasion.
Profile of Justice Geeta Mittal
Born on 9 December, 1958, Justice Gita Mittal was appointed as an Additional Judge of Delhi High Court on 16 July, 2004. Prior to her appointment as Additional Judge, she had an illustrious legal practice in all the courts and other judicial forums since 1981.
Justice Mittal was confirmed as a permanent judge on 20 February, 2006.
Since August 2008, Justice Mittal has been a member of the Governing Council of the National Law University, Delhi. She is also a member of the Governing Council of the Indian Law Institute, New Delhi since 2013 and has been nominated to its Administrative Committee.
Justice Mittal has written extensively on ‘Access to Justice’; protection of human rights; impact of incarceration on women; corporate social responsibility; death penalty; impact of religion, culture, tradition on judging; corporate laws; procedure and intellectual property litigation and environmental laws and issues.
She has designed the Vulnerable Witness Courtroom Project in the Delhi Trial Courts, which led to the first such courtroom in India being inaugurated on 16 September 2012. She received the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2008 from the Vice President of India, awarded by the Lady Shriram College for Women.
