Biswanath Somadder
Hon'ble Chief Justice (Retd.) Biswanath Somadder | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 23rd Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court | |
| In office 12 October 2021 – 14 December 2025 | |
| Nominated by | N. V. Ramana |
| Appointed by | Ram Nath Kovind |
| Preceded by |
|
| Succeeded by |
|
| 9th Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court | |
| In office 27 April 2020 – 11 October 2021 | |
| Nominated by | Sharad Arvind Bobde |
| Appointed by | Ram Nath Kovind |
| Preceded by | Mohammad Rafiq |
| Succeeded by | Ranjit Vasantrao More |
| Judge of Allahabad High Court | |
| In office 17 October 2019 – 26 April 2020 | |
| Nominated by | Ranjan Gogoi |
| Appointed by | Ram Nath Kovind |
| Judge of Calcutta High Court | |
| In office 22 June 2006 – 16 October 2019 | |
| Nominated by | Yogesh Kumar Sabharwal |
| Appointed by | A. P. J. Abdul Kalam |
| In office 1 January 2019 – 3 April 2019 | |
| Appointed by | Ram Nath Kovind |
| Preceded by | Debasish Kar Gupta |
| Succeeded by | T. B. Radhakrishnan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 15 December 1963 |
| Education | B. A. and LL.B. |
| Alma mater | University of Calcutta |
Biswanath Somadder (born 15 December 1963) is a retired Indian judge, who has served as 23rd Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court and 9th Meghalaya High Court. He is a former judge of Allahabad High Court and Calcutta High Court. He has also served as Acting Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court in 2019.[1]
Early life and education
[edit]Justice Somadder was born on 15 December 1963. He completed his schooling from the La Martiniere for Boys school, Calcutta. He then passed his Bachelor of Arts and LL.B. from the University of Calcutta and also completed a Certificate Course on Office Automation Tools under the Computer Education Programme of the Regional Computer Centre, Kolkata.[1]
Career
[edit]Somadder was enrolled as an advocate on 21 July 1989. He practised in the High Court at Calcutta as well as the Supreme Court of India and also appeared before CESTAT, Eastern Regional Bench. Somadder practised in Constitutional (Customs & Central Excise, FERA, Telecommunication, Education, Service and Income Tax), Arbitration, Company, Revenue, Civil and Criminal matters, and specialised in Revenue, Arbitration and Constitutional laws. Somadder was senior counsel for the Central Government in the High Court at Calcutta and was also the honorary joint secretary of the Bar Library Club of Calcutta High Court, till just prior to his elevation.[1]
On 22 June 2006, he was elevated as a permanent judge of the Calcutta High Court.[2][3] Justice Somadder was appointed the executive chairman of the State Legal Services Authority of West Bengal on 5 November 2018.[4] Appointed Judge-in-Charge, Administrative Department, High Court at Calcutta, to discharge the functions assigned under the Appellate Side Rules of the High Court at Calcutta, with effect from 19 November 2018. He became the Acting Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court from 1 January 2019 and retained the post till 3 April 2019.[5][6] He assumed charge as judge of the Allahabad High Court on 17 October 2019.
On 23 April 2020, he was appointed the Chief justice of Meghalaya High Court and took oath on 27 April 2020.[7][8] He was transferred as Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court on 9 October 2021 and took oath on 12 October 2021.[9]
He retired as Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court on 14 December 2025 upon reaching age of superannuation i.e. 62 years, bringing an end to 2 decades long career as Judge.[10][11]
Controversies
[edit]He was not elevated to Supreme Court though he has been the senior most High Court judge in the all India Seniority of all High Court judges for more than 2 years. His and Dipankar Datta's non elevation to Supreme Court in May 2022 has generated significant controversy when much junior J. B. Pardiwala of Gujarat High Court was elevated to Supreme Court,[12] had they both were elevated at this time both Somadder and Datta would be in line to become CJI in 2028.[12] However, in December 2022, Dipankar Datta (junior to Justice Somadder, though both became judge on same day i.e. 22 June 2006) was elevated to Supreme court but Justice Somadder was left.[13] Again in March 2025, appointment of Junior judge Joymalya Bagchi of Calcutta High Court to Supreme Court bypassing senior judges including Somadder has generated controversy.[14]
Immediately after his retirement as Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court the then acting chief justice of Sikkim High Court Meenakshi Madan Rai withdrew his security cover, vehicles and drivers, and gave him a direction asking him to vacate the official residence, all these directions were issued purportedly in backdrop of his letter to CJI complaining about the conduct of Justice Rai.[15] Situation de-escalated after CJI Kant and senior supreme court judge Justice J. K. Maheshwari, also former chief justice of Sikkim High Court, stepped in. Official vehicle of Somadder was restored and eviction notice was deferred.[16]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "Calcutta High Court - Judges". www.calcuttahighcourt.gov.in. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
- ↑ "16 new judges join Calcutta High Court". Retrieved 28 December 2018.
- ↑ "16 new judges, five slots still empty". telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
- ↑ "Judge Information". Retrieved 28 December 2018.
- ↑ "Justice Biswanath Somadder appointed Acting Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court". Retrieved 28 December 2018.
- ↑ "Biswanath Somadder to be acting chief justice from January 1". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
- ↑ "Justice Biswanath Somadder new chief justice of Meghalaya High Court". NORTHEAST NOW. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
- ↑ "New Meghalaya Chief Justice Drives 2,000 km To Take Oath Amid Lockdown". www.ndtv.com. Archived from the original on 16 February 2025. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
- ↑ Ritu (4 January 2024). "Know Thy Judge | Justice Biswanath Somadder, 24th Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court". SCC Times. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
- ↑ Editor (14 December 2025). "Justice Biswanath Somadder, Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court, bids farewell after a tenure of 4 years". SCC Times. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ↑ Batra, Rushil (17 December 2025). "'Pride Comes Before Fall': Chief Justice Biswanath Somadder Retires From Sikkim High Court After Four-Year Tenure". www.livelaw.in. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
- 1 2 "Bengal judges denied elevation to Supreme Court".
- ↑ "Ex-Bombay HC Chief Justice Dipankar Datta takes oath as Supreme Court judge". The Hindu. 12 December 2022. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
- ↑ "SC Collegium Supersedes These 10 HC Judges to Nominate Justice Bagchi to Supreme Court - Law Trend". 7 March 2025. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
- ↑ Anand, Utkarsh (21 December 2025). "Registrar's complaint, Sikkim ex-CJ letter unravelled HC crisis". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
- ↑ Anand, Utkarsh (19 December 2025). "Sikkim HC row derails senior judge's elevation as chief justice". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 24 July 2026.