The Central Government has issued a notification approving the transfer of Justice Lisa Gill from the Punjab and Haryana High Court to the Andhra Pradesh High Court. The decision has been taken following the recommendation made by the Supreme Court Collegium.
The transfer was formally approved by the President of India after consultation with the Chief Justice of India, as required under the constitutional procedure governing judicial transfers. The development was also acknowledged by Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, who extended his wishes to Justice Gill for her new assignment.
Justice Gill’s transfer is linked to the Collegium’s earlier recommendation proposing her appointment as the next Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court. She is expected to assume the position after the retirement of the present Chief Justice, Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur, scheduled for April.
In recent months, the Supreme Court Collegium has adopted a practice of transferring judges who are likely to be elevated as Chief Justices of other High Courts before they formally take charge. This allows the incoming judge to gain familiarity with the functioning and administrative processes of the court.
Justice Gill will initially serve as a judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court and is likely to take over as Chief Justice once the post becomes vacant. Her elevation will also be significant as she is set to become the first woman to head the Andhra Pradesh High Court.
She has been serving as a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court since 2014 and has handled a broad spectrum of cases across various branches of law.