TNR News Network
SHIMLA: The Himachal Pradesh High Court welcomed two new judges on Monday (October 6, 2025) as Justices Jiya Lal Bhardwaj and Ramesh Varma were sworn in. The oath of office was administered by Chief Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia in a ceremony held at the High Court.
The appointment of the two judges comes after the Supreme Court Collegium recommended their names, which were subsequently approved by President Droupadi Murmu.
The induction of the two judges increases the working strength of the Himachal Pradesh High Court to 13, against a total sanctioned strength of 17 judges. This includes 13 permanent judges and four additional judges. The new appointments are expected to provide much-needed impetus to the court’s efforts to tackle its massive backlog, which currently stands at over one lakh pending cases.
Profiles of new judges
Justice Jiya Lal Bhardwaj, born on August 20, 1969, began his legal practice at the Himachal Pradesh High Court in 1994. He commenced his career in the chambers of Senior Advocate Arun Kumar Goel, who later became a judge of the Himachal Pradesh High Court and then the President of the State Consumer Commission.
Justice Ramesh Varma, born on May 7, 1974, started his legal practice in 1999 under the guidance of his father, Senior Advocate Ghanshyam Das Varma.
The Himachal Pradesh High Court now comprises Chief Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia and Justices Vivek Singh Thakur, Ajay Mohan Goel, Sandeep Sharma, Jyotsna Rewal Dua, Sushil Kukreja, Virender Singh, Satyen Vaidya, B.C. Negi, Ranjan Sharma, Rakesh Kainthla, along with the two newly appointed judges.
The court recently saw the elevation of Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan, who was appointed as the Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court. The addition of two new judges is seen as a critical step in enhancing the court’s ability to dispense justice and manage its substantial caseload.
