Justice GS Sandhawalia was sworn in as the Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court in a ceremony at Raj Bhavan here today.
Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla administered the oath of office to Justice Sandhawalia. The ceremony was attended by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Judges of the High Court, Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena and other prominent individuals.
Born on November 1, 1965, Justice Sandhawalia did his graduation in B.A. (Hons.) from DAV College, Chandigarh in 1986. An alumnus of the Department of Laws, Panjab University, Chandigarh, he was enrolled as an advocate in August 1989 and practiced at the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
He was elevated to the Bench on September 30, 2011, and became a permanent judge of this Court on January 24, 2014.
He has been the chairman of several committees like the Departmental Promotion and Recruitment Committee, Mediation and Conciliation Committee, Recruitment and Promotion Committee (Superior Judicial Service), Vigilance and Disciplinary Committee, etc.
He has also been the Executive Chairman of the Punjab State Legal Services Authority. He was appointed as the Acting Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court February 4, 2024, and held the post till July 8, 2024.
After taking the oath as the Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court, Justice GS Sandhawalia said “we will sit for longer hours” to address pendency of cases. “We will also involve the Bar to ensure it is in sync with us and do not seek too many adjournments.
I have been a practising member, and I understand what they have on their mind. I will ensure all kinds of apprehensions are taken care of,” said the Chief Justice while interacting with the press after the swearing -in ceremony here today.
The Chief Justice further said that he would ensure, with the help of his colleagues, that justice is delivered at the earliest, in the shortest possible time, to the people. “I am told that the people of Himachal are far more peace loving, and there’s very little criminal work.
There’s more service and civil work. We will ensure that the needy and senior citizens, the ones who require legal aid and help, get it,” he said.
He further said that he had been to Shimla quite often and it was like homecoming for him in a way. “Himachal has been a part of Punjab, so it’s like a homecoming for me,” said the Chief Justice.
