President Draupadi Murmu on Sunday approved the appointment of Justice N. Kotiswar Singh of the Gauhati High Court as Chief Justice of the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court.
A notification posted on the website of the Ministry of Law and Justice said, “In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (1) of Article 217 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint Shri Justice Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh, Judge of the Gauhati High Court to be Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office.”
The Supreme Court Collegium had proposed elevation of Justice Singh as Chief Justice of the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court on December 13 last year.
Justice Singh has served thrice as acting Chief Justice of both the Gauhati High Court and the Manipur High Court.
Justice Singh was born on March 1, 1963 at Imphal, Manipur, to (Late) Justice N. Ibotombi Singh of the Gauhati High Court, who had served as the first Advocate General of Manipur, and N. Gomati Devi.
He briefly practiced before the Supreme Court before shifting to the Gauhati High Court. He was designated as a Senior Advocate by the Gauhati High Court in 2008.
In 2011, Justice Singh was sworn in as Additional Judge of the Gauhati High Court. In 2012, he was made a permanent judge.
Justice Singh was appointed as judge of the Manipur High Court upon its creation in 2013. He was later transferred to the Gauhati High Court in 2018.