Hima Kohli is an Indian lawyer who was promoted to the post of Justice of the Supreme Court of India on August 26, 2021. She is also famous for becoming the first woman Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court.
Wiki/Biography
Hima Kohli was born on Wednesday, September 2, 1959, in New Delhi, India (age 62 years; as of 2021). Her zodiac sign is Virgo. She studied at St. Thomas Girls’ High School, Mandir Marg, New Delhi. Seema has been a diligent student since she was a child, and her grades have always been among the best. While studying at the school, she was elected Head Girl in her final year. Seema followed in the footsteps of her maternal grandparents and studied BA (Hons) in History at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi. Thereafter, she obtained a postgraduate degree in history from Delhi University. After her graduation from Delhi University, as a member of the university’s historical society, she frequently went on educational trips to visit historical places like Aurangabad, Bhubaneswar and Konark. After graduation, her father suggested that becoming a professor would be an ideal choice, but after learning that Hima’s classmates were preparing for the civil service exam, he encouraged Hima to take the entrance exam. Soon after, she was admitted to Delhi University Law School, where she pursued LLB. She first enrolled in an LLB because she believed a library card would be useful in preparing for the Civil Service Examination. However, Seema’s mother, a habitual reader of detective novels and courtroom dramas, supported Seema’s decision to pursue a career in the legal field.
family
Hima’s father came from a business class family in Jalandhar, Punjab. Meanwhile, Hima’s mother was from Gujranwala, British India (now part of Pakistan). Hima’s maternal side is a scholar, specializing in history. Her maternal side (great-grandfather, grandfather and grandfather’s siblings) were graduate students and professors at Punjab University. Hima’s parents were from pre-Partition India and witnessed the trauma of Partition firsthand as a teenager. Her parents left their hearth and home behind and moved to Delhi, the country’s capital, to restart their lives from scratch. Continuing the family tradition, Hima’s father started his own business in Delhi in the 1950s and it flourished over time. Seema’s mother is an alumnus of Indraprastha College for Women, Delhi. After her marriage, Hima’s mother decided to become a housewife and take care of the needs of her daughters Hima and Neelu. Sharing her childhood memories in her farewell speech at the Delhi High Court, Seema said:
The job of raising us was neatly divided between my parents. My mother focused on our studies and all school related activities, while my father organized fun activities… The entire week was focused on school and homework under the strict supervision of my mother. But Sunday is a fun-filled family day that starts with breakfast and ends with dinner. “
Seema’s sister Niru leads a sheltered life. Instead, when Seema was born, her parents realized they needed to raise their daughter to be independent. Seema said in her speech,
While my sister would be picked up and dropped off in a car as a student and even a few times in college, for me the car was repossessed in high school and I was told to travel by school bus which I considered a hardship! “
To protect their eldest daughter, Seema’s parents enrolled Niru in a girls’ college at Miranda House in Delhi. Meanwhile, Seema got admitted to St. Stephen’s College, a co-ed college in Delhi. Hima’s father died while she was working as a solo practitioner. After his death, Niru took over the liquidation of the company.
Profession
Hima Kohli was admitted to the Bar Council of Delhi in 1984. She started her career as a lawyer after joining the law firm of Advocate Sunanda Bhandare, who was later promoted to the rank of judge. From 1999 to 2004, she served as Standing Counsel and Legal Adviser to the New Delhi Municipal Council in the Delhi High Court. In December 2004, she served as Additional Standing Counsel (Civil) to the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi before the Delhi High Court. She has represented the Delhi government in several high-profile public interest litigations. At the same time, she built a reputation as a lawyer in private practice. She also serves as legal advisor to the Public Grievance Commission, Delhi Pollution Control Board, National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India, National Cooperative Development Corporation and other private organizations and banks. Additionally, she is a former member of the Delhi High Court Legal Services Committee, a statutory body constituted under the Legal Services Authority Act. While Seema was traumatized by her father’s death, her seniors were promoted to judges, leaving Seema without a court in the High Court to function in. So, she set up a mini office in the boot of her car where she kept files and documents while meeting clients at the office of Mr. SP Gupta, who allowed Hima to operate from his room. On August 11, 2017, she became a member of the Board of Governors of West Bengal National University of Forensic Sciences, Kolkata. She joined the editorial board of Nyaya Deep, the official journal published by the National Legal Services Authority, on May 7, 2019. On March 26, 2020, she served as chairperson of the high-power committee established by the government. of NCT of Delhi. The committee was formed in view of the COVID-19 pandemic when the Supreme Court of India in March 2020 passed an order to decongest prisons in all states/Union Territories. In May 2020, she became the Executive Chairman Authority of Delhi State Legal Services Department. She has served as the Chairperson of Delhi Judicial Academy, Delhi High Court Legal Aid Society for Middle Income Groups, Delhi High Court Building and Maintenance Committee, Mediation and Conciliation Committee and Family Court Committee. She is a member of the National Law University Council.
Delhi High Court Judge
On May 29, 2006, she was appointed as Additional Judge of the Delhi High Court. She was nominated by Yogesh Kumar Sabharwal and appointed by APJ Abdul Kalam. On August 29, 2007, she was appointed as a permanent judge of the Delhi High Court. She is serving as a judge of the Delhi High Court till January 6, 2021.
Chief Judge, Telangana High Court
On January 7, 2021, she became the first woman Chief Judge of the Telangana High Court. The post was nominated by Sharad Arvind Bobde and appointed by Ram Nath Kovind. She serves as the Chief Judge of the Telangana High Court till August 30, 2021.
Justice Hima Kohli at the swearing-in ceremony of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Telangana at Raj Bhavan, Hyderabad, Telangana
judge of supreme court of india
In August 2021, a committee headed by CJI NV Ramana took a major decision to recommend three women, including Justice Hima Kohli, for appointment to the Supreme Court of India. On August 31, 2021, Justice Hima Kohli was sworn in as the Supreme Court of India along with eight other judges. She was nominated by NV Ramana and appointed by Ram Nath Kovind. For the first time in the history of India, nine new Supreme Court judges were sworn in at once.
Justice Hima Kohli takes oath at the swearing-in ceremony of the Supreme Court in New Delhi
With three women, Justice B V Nagarathna, Justice Bela M Trivedi and Justice Hima Kohli, taking the oath of office, the Supreme Court got four sitting women judges, breaking the previous record of three serving women judges.
Justice Bela M Trivedi, Justice Hima Kohli, CJI NV Ramana, Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice BV Nagarathna during the swearing-in ceremony of nine Supreme Court judges in New Delhi
noteworthy judgment
- Manoj Kumar vs Union of India. (2016): A division bench of Justice Hima Kohli directed the Reserve Police Force (RPF) to reappoint the constable, who was dismissed by the RPF for non-disclosure of the pendency of a criminal case filed against him when he was 12 Years old. The court directed RPF to reinstate him to his position within 12 weeks and provide all consequential benefits except back wages. The Delhi High Court also held that the identity of a juvenile must be kept secret at any stage of life; otherwise the purpose of the Juvenile Justice Act would be defeated.
- Sanjay Singh v. State of Delhi (NCT Government) (2020): In the Delhi High Court, a bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Subramonim Prasad Subramium Prasad) directed the Superintendent of Prisons to conduct an inquiry into the illegal detention of a man in Delhi. Despite a favorable bail order, Tihar was jailed for 10 days. After the investigation, the Tihar jail authorities apologized to the court. The authorities have since hired 14 law enforcement officers on a contract basis to provide legal assistance to prison authorities.
- Manisha Priyadarshini v. Sri Aurobindo College – Evening & Ors (2020): The Delhi High Court rejected the right of Delhi University to terminate the employment of Priyadarshini, a temporary college professor at the university, who was on maternity leave during her tenure. contract. A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Asha Menon said terminating employment was akin to punishing a woman for choosing to be a mother while employed. The judge referred to Article 21 of the Constitution, which protects women’s reproductive rights.
- National Federation of the Blind v Union of India & Others: In August 2020, a bench of Justice Hima Kohli, while conducting the hearing through video conferencing, held that Delhi University must provide scribes to visually impaired students at the Common Service Center (CSC) Online Open Book Examination (OBE) for final year undergraduate courses.
salary
2.5 Lakhs per month
assets/property
- A flat of 1770.30 sq. ft. in Mayur Vihar Cooperative Group Housing Society, New Delhi (Purchased/Allotted in 1990)
- Undivided share of residential plot in Sushant Lok, Gurgaon with an area of 262. 63 sq. ft. (Purchased jointly with sister in 2004)
Facts/Trivia
- In addition to being a judge, she is an active promoter of environmental awareness and emphasizes the role of the judiciary in ecological protection.
- She also highlighted the role of family courts in resolving family disputes.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education