In a first, Union Law Secretary Anoop Kumar Mendiratta on Friday was elevated as a judge of the Delhi High Court.
The formal official notification of the latest appointments in the Delhi High Court was tweeted by the Department of Justice in which Mr. Mendiratta was among four judicial officers who were elevated as judges.
Sources in the government claimed that Mr. Mendiratta, who belongs to the Delhi Higher Judicial Services, was appointed as a judge based on his seniority.
His name was recently recommended by the Supreme Court collegium, one of the sources said.
Mr. Mendiratta was serving as the District and Sessions Judge of Karkardooma in northeast district when he was made the Law Secretary in October 2019.
A break with tradition
That appointment too was a break with tradition. The post of Law Secretary used to be filled by elevating one of the additional secretaries coming from the Indian Legal Service (ILS) cadre. His appointment order said he was appointed on a contractual basis until March 30, 2023, his attaining the age of 60.
Judicial officers Neena Bansal Krishna, Dinesh Kumar Sharma and Sudhir Kumar Jain have also been elevated as judges of the Delhi High Court.
