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Justice A. Muhamed Mustaque Appointed Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court

The Government of India has appointed Justice A. Muhamed Mustaque, a judge of the Kerala High Court, as the Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court. The appointment follows the recommendation of the Supreme Court Collegium led by CJI Surya Kant. Justice Mustaque brings a diverse legal background, including practice in civil, constitutional, and commercial law, as well as significant experience in arbitration and mediation. In a related development, the Centre also announced the transfer of Chief Justice Soumen Sen from the Meghalaya High Court to the Kerala High Court.

Key Points: Justice A. Muhamed Mustaque Appointed Sikkim HC Chief Justice

  • Appointment by President & CJI
  • Collegium recommendation
  • Extensive legal & mediation background
  • Simultaneous transfer of Meghalaya HC Chief Justice
2 min read

Justice A Muhamed Mustaque appointed as Chief Justice of Sikkim HC

The Centre appoints Justice A. Muhamed Mustaque, a Kerala HC judge, as the new Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court, following the Supreme Court Collegium's recommendation.

"The President... was pleased to appoint Justice Muhamed Mustaque... as the Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court. - Arjun Ram Meghwal"

New Delhi, Jan 3

The Centre on Saturday cleared the appointment of Kerala High Court judge, Justice A. Muhamed Mustaque, as the Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court.

In a post on social media platform 'X', Union Minister of State (I/C) for Law & Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal announced that the President, in exercise of the powers conferred by the Constitution of India and in consultation with the Chief Justice of India (CJI), was pleased to appoint Justice Muhamed Mustaque Ayumantakath, Judge of the Kerala High Court, as the Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office.

The appointment comes in line with the recommendation of the CJI Surya Kant-led Supreme Court Collegium, which had earlier proposed the elevation of Justice A. Muhamed Mustaque of the Kerala High Court as the Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court. Born on June 1, 1967, Justice Muhamed Mustaque is a native of Thana in Kannur district of Kerala.

He obtained his law degree from V.B. College of Law, Udupi, and later completed his LL.M. in Labour Law from M.G. University.

He enrolled as an advocate on October 1, 1989, and practised for seven years before various courts and statutory authorities in Kannur.

During his career at the Bar, he practised as a litigation lawyer and arbitrator and also served as a mediator at the Kerala Mediation Centre.

His areas of practice included civil, commercial, constitutional, administrative, service and criminal law, besides telecommunication, intellectual property and information technology laws.

He also served as a faculty member for mediation training with the Indian Institute of Arbitration and Mediation (IIAM) and was a panel arbitrator with ICADR and IIAM.

Justice Muhamed Mustaque was sworn in as an Additional Judge of the Kerala High Court on January 23, 2014, and was appointed as a Permanent Judge with effect from March 10, 2016.

He has also served as the Acting Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court.

Meanwhile, the Centre on Thursday said that the President, in exercise of powers under Article 222 of the Constitution, has transferred Soumen Sen, Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court, to serve as the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court, following the retirement of the incumbent Chief Justice Nitin Madhukar Jamdar on January 9, 2026.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
It's good to see judges with such wide-ranging expertise being appointed to leadership roles. His knowledge in IT and telecom law is crucial for today's times. Hope he brings positive changes to the Sikkim HC.
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Vikram M
Hearty congratulations to Justice Mustaque from a fellow Malayali! 🎉 It's a proud moment for Kerala. His journey from practicing in Kannur courts to becoming a Chief Justice is truly inspiring for young lawyers.
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Rohit P
The transfer and appointment system seems to be working smoothly. Good to have a judge with mediation experience in a high court. Maybe it will help reduce case backlogs. Fingers crossed.
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Priya S
While his credentials are excellent, I hope such appointments are made purely on merit and not due to any other considerations. The judiciary must remain above all else. A respectful note of caution.
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Michael C
Interesting to see the cross-country transfers. A judge from Kerala going to Sikkim, and one from Meghalaya coming to Kerala. This probably helps bring diverse perspectives to different regional high courts.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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