{"id":16812,"date":"2026-08-19T13:55:46","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T13:55:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/?p=16812"},"modified":"2026-08-23T05:55:43","modified_gmt":"2026-08-23T05:55:43","slug":"chief-justices-of-gauhati-court","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/chief-justices-of-gauhati-court\/","title":{"rendered":"Chief Justices of Gauhati High Court: Complete List from 1948 to 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The <strong>Gauhati High Court<\/strong> is one of the most important High Courts in Northeast India. Established in 1948 as the <strong>High Court of Assam<\/strong>, it has witnessed several major changes in the region&#8217;s political and administrative history. This article provides the <strong>complete list of Chief Justices of Gauhati High Court<\/strong>, its history, important judicial figures, and the evolution of its jurisdiction<\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_77 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/chief-justices-of-gauhati-court\/#When_Was_Gauhati_High_Court_Established\" >When Was Gauhati High Court Established?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/chief-justices-of-gauhati-court\/#Who_Was_the_First_Chief_Justice_of_Gauhati_High_Court\" >Who Was the First Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/chief-justices-of-gauhati-court\/#How_Did_Assam_High_Court_Become_Gauhati_High_Court\" >How Did Assam High Court Become Gauhati High Court?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/chief-justices-of-gauhati-court\/#1_High_Court_of_Assam_%E2%80%94_1948\" >1. High Court of Assam \u2014 1948<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/chief-justices-of-gauhati-court\/#2_High_Court_of_Assam_and_Nagaland_%E2%80%94_1963\" >2. High Court of Assam and Nagaland \u2014 1963<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/chief-justices-of-gauhati-court\/#3_Gauhati_High_Court_%E2%80%94_1971\" >3. Gauhati High Court \u2014 1971<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/chief-justices-of-gauhati-court\/#4_Creation_of_Separate_High_Courts\" >4. Creation of Separate High Courts<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/chief-justices-of-gauhati-court\/#Who_Is_the_Current_Chief_Justice_of_Gauhati_High_Court\" >Who Is the Current Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/chief-justices-of-gauhati-court\/#Who_Was_the_Chief_Justice_Before_Ashutosh_Kumar\" >Who Was the Chief Justice Before Ashutosh Kumar?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/chief-justices-of-gauhati-court\/#Judges_of_Gauhati_High_Court_Who_Reached_the_Supreme_Court\" >Judges of Gauhati High Court Who Reached the Supreme Court<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/chief-justices-of-gauhati-court\/#Justice_Ranjan_Gogoi\" >Justice Ranjan Gogoi<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/chief-justices-of-gauhati-court\/#Justice_Jasti_Chelameswar\" >Justice Jasti Chelameswar<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/chief-justices-of-gauhati-court\/#Justice_Madan_Lokur\" >Justice Madan Lokur<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/chief-justices-of-gauhati-court\/#Justice_Sudhanshu_Dhulia\" >Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/chief-justices-of-gauhati-court\/#Justice_Sandeep_Mehta\" >Justice Sandeep Mehta<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/chief-justices-of-gauhati-court\/#Justice_Vijay_Bishnoi\" >Justice Vijay Bishnoi<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/chief-justices-of-gauhati-court\/#Why_Is_the_Gauhati_High_Court_Important\" >Why Is the Gauhati High Court Important?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/chief-justices-of-gauhati-court\/#Gauhati_High_Court_Important_Facts\" >Gauhati High Court: Important Facts<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/chief-justices-of-gauhati-court\/#Conclusion\" >Conclusion<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/chief-justices-of-gauhati-court\/#Also_read_%E2%80%93\" >Also read &#8211;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-21\" href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/chief-justices-of-gauhati-court\/#FAQs_on_Chief_Justice_of_Gauhati_High_Court\" >FAQs on Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>Over the years, the court has served different northeastern states and has been headed by several distinguished judges, many of whom later became judges or Chief Justices of other High Courts and the Supreme Court of India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Justice Ashutosh Kumar<\/strong> is the present Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court. He took oath on <strong>21 July 2025<\/strong> and is the <strong>43rd regular Chief Justice<\/strong> of the court, excluding those who served only as Acting Chief Justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_Was_Gauhati_High_Court_Established\"><\/span><strong>When Was Gauhati High Court Established?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The history of the Gauhati High Court goes back to the period immediately following India&#8217;s independence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On <strong>9 September 1947<\/strong>, the Assam Legislative Assembly passed a resolution calling for the establishment of a High Court for Assam. The <strong>Assam High Court Order, 1948<\/strong> was subsequently promulgated on 1 March 1948.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The High Court of Assam officially came into existence on <strong>5 April 1948<\/strong>. Sir Harilal Kania, the first Chief Justice of India, presided over its inauguration. <strong>Sir R. F. Lodge<\/strong> was sworn in as its first Chief Justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Interestingly, the court initially functioned from <strong>Shillong<\/strong> and shifted to <strong>Gauhati (now Guwahati)<\/strong> on 14 August 1948.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Who_Was_the_First_Chief_Justice_of_Gauhati_High_Court\"><\/span><strong>Who Was the First Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sir Ronald Francis Lodge<\/strong>, popularly known as <strong>Sir R. F. Lodge<\/strong>, was the first Chief Justice of the Assam High Court, the institution that later became the Gauhati High Court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He took oath on <strong>5 April 1948<\/strong>, the day the Assam High Court was inaugurated, and served until <strong>7 April 1949<\/strong>. According to the Gauhati High Court&#8217;s official profile, he had earlier served as a Sessions Judge in Assam and as Registrar of the Calcutta High Court. He also authored the first judgment of the Assam High Court in <em>Ali Laskar vs Arabjan Bibi<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His appointment marked the beginning of a judicial institution that would eventually become the principal High Court for much of Northeast India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Did_Assam_High_Court_Become_Gauhati_High_Court\"><\/span><strong>How Did Assam High Court Become Gauhati High Court?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The name and jurisdiction of the court changed several times as the political map of Northeast India evolved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_High_Court_of_Assam_%E2%80%94_1948\"><\/span><strong>1. High Court of Assam \u2014 1948<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The court was established in 1948 as the <strong>High Court of Assam<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_High_Court_of_Assam_and_Nagaland_%E2%80%94_1963\"><\/span><strong>2. High Court of Assam and Nagaland \u2014 1963<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When Nagaland became a state in 1963, the court became known as the <strong>High Court of Assam and Nagaland<\/strong> with effect from 1 December 1963.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Gauhati_High_Court_%E2%80%94_1971\"><\/span><strong>3. Gauhati High Court \u2014 1971<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971<\/strong> created a common High Court for Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh. It was called the <strong>Gauhati High Court<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For several decades, therefore, the Gauhati High Court had jurisdiction over a very large part of Northeast India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Creation_of_Separate_High_Courts\"><\/span><strong>4. Creation of Separate High Courts<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The judicial structure of the Northeast changed again in 2013 with the establishment of separate High Courts for <strong>Meghalaya, Manipur and Tripura<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today, the Gauhati High Court has jurisdiction over:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Assam<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Arunachal Pradesh<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mizoram<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nagaland<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Its principal seat is in <strong>Guwahati<\/strong>, with permanent benches at <strong>Kohima, Aizawl and Itanagar<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><td><strong>No.<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Chief Justice<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Tenure<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>1<\/td><td>Sir Ronald Francis Lodge<\/td><td>1948\u20131949<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2<\/td><td>T. V. Thadani<\/td><td>1948\u20131949<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>3<\/td><td>Sarjoo Prasad<\/td><td>1949\u20131950<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>4<\/td><td>Chandreswar Prasad Sinha<\/td><td>1950\u20131952<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>5<\/td><td>Holiram Deka<\/td><td>1952<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>6<\/td><td>G. Mehrotra<\/td><td>1952\u20131953<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>7<\/td><td>C. S. Row Nayudu<\/td><td>1965\u20131970<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>8<\/td><td>S. K. Dutta<\/td><td>1973<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>9<\/td><td>M. C. Pathak<\/td><td>1973\u20131977<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>10<\/td><td>M. S. Swami<\/td><td>1977\u20131978<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>11<\/td><td>C. M. Lodha<\/td><td>1978\u20131979<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>12<\/td><td>Baharul Islam<\/td><td>1979\u20131980<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>13<\/td><td>Dambarudhar Pathak<\/td><td>1980\u20131983<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>14<\/td><td>T. S. Misra<\/td><td>1983\u20131985<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>15<\/td><td>P. C. Reddy<\/td><td>1985\u20131986<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>16<\/td><td>K. M. Lahiri<\/td><td>1986<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>17<\/td><td>K. N. Saikia<\/td><td>1986\u20131988<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>18<\/td><td>G. M. Lodha<\/td><td>1988<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>19<\/td><td>A. S. Raghuvir<\/td><td>1988\u20131991<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>20<\/td><td>U. L. Bhat<\/td><td>1991\u20131994<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>21<\/td><td>R. K. Manisana Singh<\/td><td>1994<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>22<\/td><td>V. K. Khanna<\/td><td>1994\u20131997<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>23<\/td><td>M. Ramakrishna<\/td><td>1997\u20131999<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>24<\/td><td>Brijesh Kumar<\/td><td>1999\u20132000<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>25<\/td><td>N. C. Jain<\/td><td>2000\u20132001<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>26<\/td><td>R. S. Mongia<\/td><td>2001\u20132002<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>27<\/td><td>P. P. Naolekar<\/td><td>2002\u20132004<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>28<\/td><td>Binod Kumar Roy<\/td><td>2004\u20132005<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>29<\/td><td>B. Sudarshan Reddy<\/td><td>2005\u20132007<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>30<\/td><td>Jasti Chelameswar<\/td><td>2007\u20132010<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>31<\/td><td>Ramesh Surajmal Garg<\/td><td>2010<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>32<\/td><td>Madan Lokur<\/td><td>2010\u20132011<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>33<\/td><td>Adarsh Kumar Goel<\/td><td>2011\u20132013<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>34<\/td><td>Abhay Manohar Sapre<\/td><td>2013\u20132014<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>35<\/td><td>Ajit Singh<\/td><td>2016\u20132018<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>36<\/td><td>A. S. Bopanna<\/td><td>2018\u20132019<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>37<\/td><td>Ajai Lamba<\/td><td>2019\u20132020<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>38<\/td><td>Sudhanshu Dhulia<\/td><td>2021\u20132022<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>39<\/td><td>Rashmin Manharbhai Chhaya<\/td><td>2022\u20132023<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>40<\/td><td>Sandeep Mehta<\/td><td>2023<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>41<\/td><td>Vijay Bishnoi<\/td><td>2024\u20132025<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>42<\/td><td><strong>Ashutosh Kumar<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>2025\u2013Present<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> Historical records of the early Chief Justices can differ in how acting appointments, overlapping dates and brief tenures are presented. The Gauhati High Court&#8217;s own historical records should be treated as the primary reference for individual profiles and tenure details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Who_Is_the_Current_Chief_Justice_of_Gauhati_High_Court\"><\/span><strong>Who Is the Current Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Justice Ashutosh Kumar<\/strong> is the current Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He took oath as Chief Justice on <strong>21 July 2025<\/strong> after being appointed by the President of India. The Department of Justice notification states that he was appointed Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court with effect from the date he assumed office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before becoming Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court, Justice Ashutosh Kumar served as a judge of the <strong>Patna High Court<\/strong>. He had also served as a judge of the Delhi High Court before returning to Patna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Department of Justice&#8217;s April 2026 list of High Court Chief Justices records his appointment as Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court from <strong>21 July 2025<\/strong>, with his parent High Court listed as Patna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Who_Was_the_Chief_Justice_Before_Ashutosh_Kumar\"><\/span><strong>Who Was the Chief Justice Before Ashutosh Kumar?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Justice Vijay Bishnoi<\/strong> was the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court immediately before Justice Ashutosh Kumar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Justice Bishnoi took oath as Chief Justice on <strong>5 February 2024<\/strong>. He was subsequently elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court of India and assumed office on <strong>30 May 2025<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before Justice Ashutosh Kumar took charge, <strong>Justice Lanusungkum Jamir<\/strong> served as Acting Chief Justice. The Department of Justice issued the order appointing him Acting Chief Justice with effect from 29 May 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Judges_of_Gauhati_High_Court_Who_Reached_the_Supreme_Court\"><\/span><strong>Judges of Gauhati High Court Who Reached the Supreme Court<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Gauhati High Court has played an important role in India&#8217;s higher judiciary. Several judges associated with the court later became judges of the Supreme Court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Justice_Ranjan_Gogoi\"><\/span><strong>Justice Ranjan Gogoi<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the most prominent names associated with the Gauhati High Court is <strong>Justice Ranjan Gogoi<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He served as a judge and later as Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court before being elevated to the Supreme Court. He subsequently became the <strong>46th Chief Justice of India<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His career is an important example of the national significance of the Gauhati High Court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Justice_Jasti_Chelameswar\"><\/span><strong>Justice Jasti Chelameswar<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Justice Jasti Chelameswar<\/strong> served as Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court from <strong>12 January 2007 to 17 March 2010<\/strong>. He was later elevated to the Supreme Court of India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He was also one of the four senior Supreme Court judges who held the notable 2018 press conference concerning issues relating to the administration of the Supreme Court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Justice_Madan_Lokur\"><\/span><strong>Justice Madan Lokur<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Justice Madan Lokur<\/strong> served as Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court from <strong>18 June 2010 to 20 December 2011<\/strong> before being elevated to the Supreme Court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Justice_Sudhanshu_Dhulia\"><\/span><strong>Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia<\/strong> became Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court in January 2021. He was elevated to the Supreme Court in May 2022. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Justice_Sandeep_Mehta\"><\/span><strong>Justice Sandeep Mehta<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Justice Sandeep Mehta served as Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court from February 2023 before being elevated to the Supreme Court in November 2023. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Justice_Vijay_Bishnoi\"><\/span><strong>Justice Vijay Bishnoi<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Justice Vijay Bishnoi became Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court in February 2024 and was elevated to the Supreme Court in May 2025. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This long list illustrates the important role the Gauhati High Court has played in India&#8217;s judicial system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Is_the_Gauhati_High_Court_Important\"><\/span><strong>Why Is the Gauhati High Court Important?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Gauhati High Court is important not only because of its age but also because of the geographical and constitutional significance of its jurisdiction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For much of its history, it functioned as a <strong>common High Court for several northeastern states<\/strong>. This required the court to deal with diverse legal systems, customary practices, constitutional questions, tribal rights, land issues and the special provisions applicable to the Northeast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The official history of the court describes it as a unique institution because of the large and diverse region over which it once exercised jurisdiction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Gauhati_High_Court_Important_Facts\"><\/span><strong>Gauhati High Court: Important Facts<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><td><strong>Question<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Answer<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>When was Gauhati High Court established?<\/td><td>5 April 1948<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>What was it originally called?<\/td><td>High Court of Assam<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Who was its first Chief Justice?<\/td><td>Sir R. F. Lodge<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Where did the court initially sit?<\/td><td>Shillong<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>When did it shift to Guwahati?<\/td><td>14 August 1948<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>When did it become Gauhati High Court?<\/td><td>1971<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Present jurisdiction<\/td><td>Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Principal seat<\/td><td>Guwahati<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Permanent benches<\/td><td>Kohima, Aizawl and Itanagar<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Current Chief Justice<\/td><td>Justice Ashutosh Kumar<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Current Chief Justice since<\/td><td>21 July 2025<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The establishment date, initial location and evolution of the court are recorded in the official history published by the Gauhati High Court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The history of the <strong>Chief Justices of Gauhati High Court<\/strong> closely follows the judicial and political evolution of Northeast India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From <strong>Sir R. F. Lodge<\/strong>, who led the newly established Assam High Court in 1948, to <strong>Justice Ashutosh Kumar<\/strong>, who assumed office as Chief Justice in 2025, the court has passed through several stages of institutional and territorial change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Its significance extends beyond Assam. Over the decades, judges associated with the Gauhati High Court have gone on to serve in the Supreme Court and occupy important positions in India&#8217;s judicial system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The court therefore remains an important institution not only for Assam but for the wider constitutional and legal landscape of Northeast India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>For students preparing for UPSC, APSC and other competitive examinations, the history, jurisdiction and evolution of the Gauhati High Court as well as the chief justices of Gauhati High Court are particularly useful topics for understanding the constitutional and administrative history of Northeast India.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sources:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/ghconline.gov.in\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gauhati High Court official website;<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.doj.gov.in\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Department of Justice,<\/a> Government of India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Also_read_%E2%80%93\"><\/span>Also read &#8211; <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th>Article<\/th><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/acs-promotion-hierarchy-in-assam-from-acs-officer-to-dc-and-ias\/\">ACS Promotion Hierarchy in Assam: From ACS Officer to DC and IAS<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/directorate-of-town-and-country-planning-in-assam\/\">Directorate of Town and Country Planning, Assam: History, Roles, Recruitment, and Career Growth<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/directorate-of-accounts-and-treasuries-in-assam\/\">Directorate of Accounts and Treasuries, Assam: Roles, Structure, Recruitment, and How to Become an Officer<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/directorate-of-technical-education-dte-assam\/\">Directorate of Technical Education (DTE), Assam \u2013 History, Vision, Functions &amp; Administrative Framework<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/best-apsc-coaching-in-nagaon\/\">Best APSC Coaching in Nagaon \u2013 Borthakur\u2019s IAS Academy for Serious Aspirants<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/directorate-of-elementary-education-in-assam\/\">Directorate of Elementary Education in Assam \u2013 History, Functions, Structure, and Career Growth<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/directorate-of-secondary-education-assam\/\">Everything You Need to Know About the Directorate of Secondary Education, Assam<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/directorate-of-scert-assam\/\">Directorate of State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), Assam \u2013 A Pillar of Educational Excellence<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/directorate-of-employment-and-craftsmen-training-dect-assam\/\">Directorate of Employment and Craftsmen Training (DECT), Assam \u2013 History, Structure, and Career Opportunities<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/assistant-accounts-officer-in-assam\/\">How to Become an Assistant Accounts Officer in Assam: Eligibility, Salary &amp; Career Growth<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/assistant-treasury-officer-in-assam\/\">All About Assistant Treasury Officer (ATO) in Assam Finance Service<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/assistant-audit-officer-in-assam\/\">How to Become an Assistant Audit Officer in Assam: A Step-by-Step Guide<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/district-transport-officer-in-assam\/\">How to Become a District Transport Officer (DTO) in Assam<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/how-to-become-an-ias-officer\/\">How to Become an IAS Officer: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/sub-registrar-office-in-assam\/\">Everything About Sub-Registrar Office in Assam \u2013 Eligibility, Salary &amp; Job Profile<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/assistant-employment-officer-in-assam\/\">Assistant Employment Officer in Assam: Salary, Eligibility, and Career Growth<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/assam-finance-service-officer-afs\/\">How to Become an Assam Finance Service Officer (AFS): Eligibility, Salary, and Career Growth Explained<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/how-to-become-an-aps-officer-in-assam\/\">How to Become an APS Officer in Assam: Eligibility, Exam Pattern, Salary &amp; Career Path Explained<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/superintendent-of-excise-in-assam\/\">How to Become a Superintendent of Excise: Job Profile, Salary Details, and Promotion Explained<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/superintendent-of-taxes-in-assam\/\">How to Become the Superintendent of Taxes in Assam: Full Career Guide \u2013 Eligibility, Salary, Process &amp; Career<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/labour-inspector-in-assam\/\">How to Become a Labour Inspector in Assam: Eligibility, Exam Process &amp; Salary<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/inspector-of-taxes-in-assam\/\">How to Become an Inspector of Taxes in Assam 2025 \u2013 Eligibility, Salary, and Powers Explained<\/a><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/block-development-officer-in-assam\/\">How to Become Block Development Officer in Assam: Eligibility, Salary &amp; APSC CCE Selection Process<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-coblocks-faq\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/FAQPage\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading wp-block-coblocks-faq__title\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQs_on_Chief_Justice_of_Gauhati_High_Court\"><\/span>FAQs on Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-coblocks-faq-item\" itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\"><summary class=\"wp-block-coblocks-faq-item__question\" itemprop=\"name\"><div class=\"wp-block-coblocks-faq-item__question__content\"><strong>Who was the first Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court?<\/strong><\/div><svg fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" class=\"wp-block-coblocks-faq-item__question__icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M19.39 14.99l-1.41 1.41L12 10.43 6.02 16.4l-1.41-1.41L12 7.6l7.39 7.39z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/summary><div class=\"wp-block-coblocks-faq-item__answer\" itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\"><div itemprop=\"text\">\n<p><strong>Sir Ronald Francis Lodge (Sir R. F. Lodge)<\/strong> was the first Chief Justice of the Assam High Court, which later became the Gauhati High Court. He took oath on 5 April 1948.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-coblocks-faq-item\" itemprop=\"mainEntity\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Question\"><summary class=\"wp-block-coblocks-faq-item__question\" itemprop=\"name\"><div class=\"wp-block-coblocks-faq-item__question__content\"><strong>How many Chief Justices has Gauhati High Court had?<\/strong><\/div><svg fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" class=\"wp-block-coblocks-faq-item__question__icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M19.39 14.99l-1.41 1.41L12 10.43 6.02 16.4l-1.41-1.41L12 7.6l7.39 7.39z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/summary><div class=\"wp-block-coblocks-faq-item__answer\" itemprop=\"acceptedAnswer\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Answer\"><div itemprop=\"text\">\n<p>The Gauhati High Court has had <strong>43 regular Chief Justices<\/strong>, excluding judges who served only as Acting Chief Justice.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/details>\n\n\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Gauhati High Court is one of the most important High Courts in Northeast India&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16812","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16812","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16812"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16812\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16826,"href":"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16812\/revisions\/16826"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16812"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16812"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.borthakursiasacademy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16812"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}