The Uttarakhand High Court is the High Court of the state of Uttarakhand in India. The Uttarakhand High Court was established on 9 November 2000 after the separation of the state of Uttarakhand from Uttar Pradesh.
| Uttarakhand High Court | |
|---|---|
Interactive map of Uttarakhand High Court | |
| 29°23′45″N 79°26′52″E / 29.3958°N 79.4477°E | |
| Established | 9 November 2000 |
| Jurisdiction | Uttarakhand |
| Location | Nainital, Uttarakhand |
| Coordinates | 29°23′45″N 79°26′52″E / 29.3958°N 79.4477°E |
| Composition method | Presidential with confirmation of Chief Justice of India and Governor of Uttarakhand |
| Authorised by | Constitution of India |
| Judge term length | mandatory retirement by age of 62 |
| Number of positions | 11 (9 Permanent Judges + 2 Additional Judges) |
| Website | Uttarakhand High Court |
| Chief Justice | |
| Currently | Guhanathan Narendar |
| Since | 26 December 2024 |
The sanctioned judge strength at the time of creation in 2000 was 7; this was increased to 9 in 2003. Justice Ashok Desai was the inaugural holder of the office. Former Chief Justices of Uttarakhand Sarosh Homi Kapadia and Jagdish Singh Khehar later went on to become Chief Justice of India.
History
The Uttarakhand High Court is a relatively new addition to India's judiciary system. The building of Uttarakhand High Court was constructed by Santoni MacDonald in 1900.
Uttarakhand was carved out from the state of Uttar Pradesh on 9 November 2000 under the Uttar Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2000. The High Court of Uttarakhand was also established on the same day.
The Uttarakhand High Court is located in Nainital, a scenic hill station in the Kumaon region of the state.
The High Court initially consisted of just five court rooms but later more court rooms were added. A huge[vague] Chief Justice Court Block and a Block of Lawyers’ chambers were built in 2007.
Landmark judgements
Vinod Prasad Raturi v. Union of India
In 2019, Vinod Prasad Raturi challenged administrative decisions regarding his seniority and postings in Uttarakhand following the formation of the state. The matter was initially heard in the Uttarakhand High Court, which emphasized procedural fairness and ruled that affected officers must be given an opportunity to be heard before any departmental action was taken. Following the High Court's decision, Vinod Prasad Raturi filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court of India to seek review of certain administrative orders affecting his career. On 5 March 2021, the Supreme Court allowed aspects of his petition, directing that the High Court should ensure all affected parties are heard and procedural requirements are fully observed. The judgment effectively ruled in favor of Raturi, upholding his claims regarding seniority and procedural fairness, including the allocation of his 2005 cadre. This judgment is regarded as a reference point for bureaucratic accountability and fairness in administrative promotions and postings in Uttarakhand.
Status of rivers as legal persons
In March 2017, Uttarakhand High Court's single-judge bench presided by Justice Rajeev Sharma, mandated that the rivers Ganges and Yamuna as well as all water bodies are "living entities" i.e. "legal person", and appointed 3 persons as trustees to protect the rights of rivers against the pollution caused by the humans.
Rohit Sagar v. State of Uttarakhand
Rohit Sagar v. State of Uttarakhand (2021) is a case where Uttarakhand High Court's two-judges bench presided by Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice Narayan Singh Dhanik, held that the legal adults have the fundamental right to choose their own partners, and directed the Uttarakhand Police to provide necessary protection for the individuals and their property.
List of sitting judges of the Uttarakhand High Court
There are currently nine sitting judges including the Chief Justice, with two post of additional judge lying vacant. Following is the list of the current serving judges of the Uttarakhand High Court, ordered by seniority.
| No. | Name | Date of Appointment | Date of Retirement | Type of Vacancy | Parent High Court |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Permanent Judges | |||||
| 1 | Guhanathan Narendar (Chief Justice) | 26 December 2024 | 9 January 2026 | Bar | Karnataka |
| 2 | Manoj Kumar Tiwari (Senior Judge) | 19 May 2017 | 18 September 2027 | Uttarakhand | |
| 3 | Ravindra Maithani | 3 December 2018 | 24 June 2027 | Bench | |
| 4 | Alok Kumar Verma | 27 May 2019 | 15 August 2026 | ||
| 5 | Rakesh Thapliyal | 28 April 2023 | 14 November 2027 | Bar | |
| 6 | Pankaj Purohit | 27 July 2030 | |||
| 7 | Ashish Naithani | 9 January 2025 | 3 June 2026 | Bench | |
| 8 | Alok Mahra | 14 February 2025 | 31 January 2034 | Bar | |
| 9 | Subhash Upadhyay | 30 May 2025 | 11 December 2034 | ||
| Additional Judges | |||||
| 10 | Vacant | ||||
| 11 | |||||
Registrar General
Yogesh Kumar Gupta is the current Registrar General of the Uttarakhand High Court. He assumed office on 6 June 2025.
Judges elevated to the Supreme Court of India
Currently serving
| # | Name of the Judge | Image | Date of Appointment as Judge | Date of elevation to Supreme Court | Date of Retirement | Tenure | Immediately preceding office | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| As HC Judge | As Supreme Court Judge | Total tenure (including both SC and HC) | |||||||
| 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Former Judges
| # | Name of the Judge | Image | Date of Appointment as Judge | Date of elevation to Supreme Court | Date of Retirement | Tenure | Immediately preceding office | Remarks | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| As HC Judge | As Supreme Court Judge | Total tenure (including both SC and HC) | ||||||||
| 1 | Prafulla Chandra Pant | 29 June 2004 | 13 August 2014 | 29 August 2017 | 10 years, 45 days | 3 years, 17 days | 13 years, 62 days | 2nd CJ of Meghalaya HC | ||
| 2 | Sudhanshu Dhulia | 1 November 2008 | 9 May 2022 | 9 August 2025 | 13 years, 189 days | 3 years, 93 days | 16 years, 282 days | 39th CJ of Gauhati HC | ||
Judges elevated as Chief Justice to other high courts
| Sr. No | Name | Date of Elevation | Date of Retirement | Parent High Court | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prafulla Chandra Pant | 20 September 2013 | Elevated to the Supreme Court of India Retired on 29 August 2017 | Uttarakhand | Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court |
| 2 | Vijay Kumar Bist | 30 October 2018 | Retired on 16 September 2019 | Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court | |
| 3 | Sudhanshu Dhulia | 10 January 2021 | Elevated to the Supreme Court of India Retired on 9 August 2025 | Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court |
See also
- Chief Justice of Uttarakhand
- List of judges of the Uttarakhand High Court
- High courts of India
- List of sitting judges of the high courts of India
- Supreme Court of India
- List of sitting judges of the Supreme Court of India
- Bar Council of Uttarakhand
- District Courts of India
- Nyaya panchayat
- Uttarakhand Lok Adalat
- Uttarakhand Lokayukta
- Judiciary of India
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