Dehradun: Justice Ritu Bahri on Sunday took oath as the first woman Chief Justice of Uttarakhand High Court. Governor Lieutenant General Gurmeet Singh (Retd) administered the oath of office to Justice Bahri at the Raj Bhavan here. Justice Bahri is the first woman to hold the post of Chief Justice in the state.Before becoming the Chief Justice of Uttarakhand, Justice Bahri was a judge in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
The post was vacant after the retirement of Justice Vipin Sanghi in October last year and Justice Manoj Tiwari was serving as the acting Chief Justice.
The appointment of a permanent Chief Justice was pending since retirement of Justice Vipin Sanghi on October 26. After which, senior judge Manoj Kumar Tiwari has been working as the acting Chief Justice. Bahri’s name was recommended by the Supreme Court collegium and a notification appointing her as Uttarakhand High Court Chief Justice was issued by the Government of India.
Born in Punjab in 1962, Bahri did her schooling from Chandigarh. She obtained her law degree from Punjab University and started practicing law in Punjab and Haryana High Court. She was later appointed as judge of Punjab and Haryana High Court. Bahri’s father was also a judge in Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Along with Uttarakhand High Court, the Ministry of Law and Justice has appointed Chief Justices in Meghalaya, Allahabad, Gauhati, Rajasthan and Punjab and Haryana high courts.
