Part of: Uttarakhand Polity Notes · See also: Uttarakhand GK
Quick answer
The Uttarakhand High Court chief justice list has 15 Chief Justices from 2000 to October 2026. Ashok A. Desai was the first, and Ritu Bahri the first woman. However, Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari is now Acting Chief Justice, from 9 October 2026. Moreover, the Supreme Court Collegium recommended Justice Sudhir Singh on 26 October 2026. Still, no notification had followed (as on 29 October 2026).
Key facts at a glance
- Established: 9 November 2000 at Nainital under Article 214, as the 20th High Court
- Building: old Secretariat building at Mallital, built 1900; began with five court rooms
- Judge strength: 7 at creation, 9 in 2003; approved strength now 11 (9 permanent + 2 additional)
- First CJ: Ashok A. Desai; first woman CJ: Ritu Bahri (2024)
- Present head: Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari, Acting CJ from 9 October 2026
- Recommended CJ: Justice Sudhir Singh (Patna HC), recommended on 26 October 2026
- Retirement age: 62 years for High Court judges
Uttarakhand High Court chief justice list (2000–2026)
The table lists every regular Chief Justice with tenure and what followed. Acting Chief Justices, however, appear in a separate table below.
| No. | Chief Justice | Tenure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ashok A. Desai | 6 Dec 2000 – 31 Mar 2003 | First CJ (acting from 9 Nov 2000) |
| 2 | S. H. Kapadia | 5 Aug 2003 – 17 Dec 2003 | Later 38th CJI |
| 3 | V. S. Sirpurkar | 25 Jul 2004 – Mar 2005 | To Calcutta |
| 4 | Cyriac Joseph | 20 Mar 2005 – Jan 2006 | To Karnataka |
| 5 | Rajeev Gupta | 14 Jan 2006 – Feb 2008 | To Chhattisgarh |
| 6 | Vinod Kumar Gupta | 2 Feb 2008 – 9 Sep 2009 | Retired |
| 7 | J. S. Khehar | 29 Nov 2009 – Aug 2010 | Later 44th CJI, first Sikh CJI |
| 8 | Barin Ghosh | 12 Aug 2010 – 4 Jun 2014 | Retired |
| 9 | K. M. Joseph | 31 Jul 2014 – 6 Aug 2018 | To Supreme Court |
| 10 | Ramesh Ranganathan | 2 Nov 2018 – 27 Jul 2020 | Retired |
| 11 | Raghvendra Singh Chauhan | 7 Jan 2021 – 23 Dec 2021 | Retired |
| 12 | Vipin Sanghi | 28 Jun 2022 – 26 Oct 2023 | Retired |
| 13 | Ritu Bahri | 4 Feb 2024 – 10 Oct 2024 | First woman CJ |
| 14 | Guhanathan Narendar | 26 Dec 2024 – 9 Jan 2026 | Retired |
| 15 | Manoj Kumar Gupta | 10 Jan 2026 – 8 Oct 2026 | Retired |
Thus, the Uttarakhand High Court chief justice list includes two future Chief Justices of India. S. H. Kapadia became the 38th CJI, while J. S. Khehar became the 44th. In addition, K. M. Joseph moved from here to the Supreme Court.
Acting Chief Justices
Acting Chief Justices filled the gaps between regular Chief Justices. Moreover, two of them served more than once.
| Acting CJ | Spell(s) |
|---|---|
| P. C. Verma | 1 Apr – 4 Aug 2003; 18 Dec 2003 – 24 Jul 2004; 8 – 13 Jan 2006 |
| Rajiv Sharma | From 7 Aug 2018 |
| Ravi Malimath | 28 Jul 2020 – 6 Jan 2021 (acting only) |
| Sanjaya Kumar Mishra | 24 Dec 2021 – 28 Jun 2022 |
| Manoj Kumar Tiwari | 27 Oct 2023 – 3 Feb 2024; 11 Oct – 25 Dec 2024; from 9 Oct 2026 |
Notably, Manoj Kumar Tiwari is now in his third spell as Acting CJ. Also, he gave the oath to Governor Dr Dhal Singh Bisen on 19 October 2026. For the Governor’s term, see the list of Governors of Uttarakhand.
The position in October 2026
Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta retired on 8 October 2026. Therefore, Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari became Acting Chief Justice from 9 October 2026. Then, on 26 October 2026, the Supreme Court Collegium recommended Justice Sudhir Singh of the Patna High Court.
However, a Collegium recommendation is not an appointment. Still, as on 29 October 2026, no notification had followed. So, in exams, write “Acting CJ Manoj Kumar Tiwari” and “Sudhir Singh, recommended”.
Constitutional basis and powers
| Item | Provision |
|---|---|
| High Court for the State | Article 214 |
| Appointment of judges | Article 217 (Governor consulted); retirement at 62 |
| Writ jurisdiction | Article 226 |
| Superintendence over lower courts | Article 227 |
| District judges | Appointed by the Governor in consultation with the HC (Article 233) |
Besides, the High Court is a court of record.
Landmark orders of the High Court
- Ganga and Yamuna as “living entities”: the court passed this order on 20 March 2017. The case was Mohd. Salim v. State of Uttarakhand (WP (PIL) 126 of 2014). However, the Supreme Court stayed it in July 2017.
- Revenue police: the court directed abolition of the revenue police system repeatedly. Finally, on 21 May 2024, a Division Bench ordered abolition within a year.
- President’s Rule, 2016: the court lifted the first spell (27 March – 21 April). However, the Supreme Court stayed that order, so a second spell ran until 11 May.
The revenue police system is also called “Gandhi Police”. For more, see civil administration and revenue police.
Among early records, J. C. S. M. Rawat was the first Registrar. Similarly, Kahksha Khan became the first woman Registrar General.
Subordinate judiciary
At district level, the District Judge hears civil cases and also sits as Sessions Judge. The Governor appoints district judges in consultation with the High Court. Besides, a direct recruit needs seven years’ practice.
As on 31 December 2025, the State had 4 Fast Track Courts and 4 Fast Track Special Courts. The FTSCs try rape and POCSO cases under a scheme running since 2 October 2019. Moreover, the Nirbhaya Fund supports them, shared 90:10 for Himalayan States.
On 15 August 2021, the High Court flagged off mobile e-court vans. They record witness evidence in Pithoragarh, Champawat, Uttarkashi, Chamoli and Tehri. However, India’s first mobile court began on 4 August 2007 at Punhana (Mewat, Haryana).
Lok Adalats, meanwhile, settle disputes by compromise. In addition, they charge no court fee, and their award is final with no appeal.
Legal services and judicial training
- UKSLSA: the State Legal Services Authority dates from 20 March 2002. It works under section 6 of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. Also, the CJ is Patron-in-Chief, and the senior-most judge is Executive Chairman.
- Bar Council of Uttarakhand: it works under the Advocates Act, 1961. Moreover, the Advocate General is an ex-officio member.
- UJALA: the Uttarakhand Judicial and Legal Academy is at Bhowali. Its foundation came in 2004, but it has worked only from 14 June 2008.
For more such records, see the firsts of Uttarakhand polity.
Exam corner: common traps
- Justice Sudhir Singh has only been recommended (26 October 2026); so, he is not yet Chief Justice.
- Ravi Malimath was only Acting CJ here (2020–21); he never became regular CJ of this court.
- S. H. Kapadia was not the first Parsi CJI; instead, that was S. P. Bharucha, the 30th CJI.
- India’s first mobile court was at Punhana in Haryana (2007), not in Uttarakhand.
- The High Court sits in the old Secretariat at Mallital, not in Lok Bhavan Nainital.
What UKPSC has asked
- Who was the first Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court? A. A. Desai (UKPCS Lower (Pre), 2010)
- Who is the first woman Chief Justice of the High Court? Justice Ritu Bahri (UKPSC Uttarakhand High Court ARO Screening, 2026)
- Under which Article was the High Court set up in Uttarakhand? Article 214 (UKPSC Uttarakhand High Court ARO Screening, 2026)
- Which CJ of Uttarakhand also became Chief Justice of India? S. H. Kapadia (UKPSC AFO (Pre), 2015)
- Who has not been CJ: Sirpurkar (printed as ‘Sirpukar’), Khehar, R. S. Chauhan or Pankaj Purohit? Pankaj Purohit (UKPSC Upper PCS (Pre), 2024)
- Where is the Uttarakhand Judicial and Legal Academy located? Bhowali (UKPSC ACF / LO / FRO (Pre), 2025)
Revise in one page
The High Court of Uttarakhand dates from 9 November 2000 at Nainital (Article 214). It is the 20th High Court. Also, it sits in the old Secretariat at Mallital (1900). Approved strength is 11 judges; retirement is at 62. There have been 15 regular Chief Justices. Ashok A. Desai was first, while Ritu Bahri (2024) was the first woman. S. H. Kapadia (38th) and J. S. Khehar (44th) later became CJI. Manoj Kumar Gupta retired on 8 October 2026. So, Manoj Kumar Tiwari is Acting CJ from 9 October 2026. Sudhir Singh was recommended on 26 October 2026, not notified. Ravi Malimath was only Acting CJ. The Ganga–Yamuna order came on 20 March 2017. Finally, UKSLSA dates from 2002, and UJALA is at Bhowali.
In the news
- High Court shift from Nainital to Haldwani — the Supreme Court cleared the move to Gaulapar, Haldwani, on 15 July 2026.
- Supreme Court judge strength — compare it with this court’s approved strength of 11.
- Revenue Lok Adalats at 210 places — a current example of settlement by compromise.
- Plea bargaining under the BNSS — legal awareness work under the BNSS.
Practise Uttarakhand Polity
- Daily 25 free practice questions — UKPSC previous-year questions, every morning.
- UKPSC previous year papers — bilingual PDFs of Upper PCS, Lower PCS, RO/ARO and more.
- UKPSC 2026 Prelims Test Series — full-length tests with detailed solutions.
Preparing for UKPSC Upper PCS, Lower PCS or RO/ARO? Join SAMVEG IAS, Dehradun. For batch details, call or WhatsApp +91 84759 04943.
Uttarakhand Polity Notes series
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Frequently Asked Questions
As on 29 October 2026, Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari is the Acting Chief Justice, from 9 October 2026. On 26 October 2026, the Supreme Court Collegium recommended Justice Sudhir Singh of the Patna High Court for the post.
Justice Ashok A. Desai was the first Chief Justice. He served from 6 December 2000 to 31 March 2003, after acting as Chief Justice from 9 November 2000.
Justice Ritu Bahri was the first woman Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court. She served from 4 February 2024 to 10 October 2024.
The High Court sits at Nainital, in the old Secretariat building at Mallital. The building dates from 1900, and the court began with five court rooms.
Two did. S. H. Kapadia later became the 38th Chief Justice of India, and J. S. Khehar became the 44th, the first Sikh CJI.
Facts as on 29 October 2026. Sources: Lok Bhavan (Raj Bhavan) Uttarakhand, High Court of Uttarakhand, Uttarakhand Vidhan Sabha, Election Commission of India, State departments, India Code and PIB.