Madras HC Advocates Protest Against Proposal To Transfer CJ Sanjib Banerjee To Meghalaya HC

Further, the representation demanded the Collegium to inform the members of Bar and the public on the reason for the transfer.

Madras HC CJ Sanjib Banerjee | Credit: Madras HC website

Chennai: Over 200 advocates of the Madras High Court showed their opposition through a letter to Chief Justice of India NV Ramana and the SC collegium against the proposed transfer of high court Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee to Meghalaya and sought a reconsideration of the decision. 

According to a report on PTI, the advocates through a representation on November 11 wrote to the Chief Justice by describing the transfer as a "punitive measure" against an honest and fearless judge. The representation also said that transferring Chief Justice Banerjee from Madras HC with the sanctioned strength of 75 judges to Meghalaya HC with just 2 judges raises doubt.

They also questioned why a competent, fearless judge and an efficient administrator of a larger HC, where more than 35,000 cases are filed in a year, is transferred to a court where only 70-75 cases are instituted in a month.

The representation running to 12 pages was supported by 237 advocates of Madras HC. The advocates including R Vaigai and Sudha Ramalingam signed the letter.

Further, the representation demanded the Collegium to inform the members of Bar and the public on the reason for the transfer.

Justice Banerjee became the Chief Justice of Madras High Court on January 4, 2021, and the transfer comes within nine months of his term. Banerjee is also set to retire only in November 2023. 

The incident was a repeat in Madras High Court since Justice Vijaya K Tahilramani, the CJ of Madras HC in 2019, resigned as a form of protest after she was transferred to Meghalaya HC.