Centre appointsJustice Meenakshi Madan Rai, as acting CJ of Sikkim High Court
By;- Syed Ali Taher Abedi
Justice Meenakshi Mdan Rai, senior-most Judge of the Sikkim High court has bben appointed as the Acting Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court.
The Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court, Hon’ble Justice Verma ids Due to retire on 16-92019 and the decision is consequent upon the same
Born to Late Madan Mohan Rasaily, former Home Secretary, Government of Sikkim and Mrs. Rabi Mala Rasaily (nee Moktan), former Teacher, Baha’i School, Gangtok, East Sikkim on 12th July,
1964,
she began her schooling at Tathangchen School, Gangtok,
Where, after completing her “Infants Class”, she joined
Dowhill School at Kurseong, West Bengal as a boarder in the year 1970, from where she completed her Class X in the year 1980. In 1981, she entered Tashi Namgyal Academy, Gangtok and completed her Class XII in March, 1983.
She pursued Political Science (Honours) in Lady Shriram College, Delhi University, on a Merit Scholarship from the Government of Sikkim, which she completed in 1986 and proceeded to join the Campus Law Centre, Delhi University, from where she did her three year LLB course till 1989. She was enrolled in the Bar Association of Delhi in the year 1990 and worked in the Delhi High Court and Supreme Court of India under an Advocate on Record
Details of posts held:-
She was appointed as Judicial Magistrate 1st Class –cum- Civil Judge (East) District at Gangtok, Sikkim on 11.12.1990 in the cadre of Sikkim Judicial Service,
being the first lady from Sikkim to be appointed to the said post. She was promoted to the post of Chief Judicial Magistrate-cum-Civil Judge (East & North) Districts of Sikkim at Gangtok on 20.04.2000,
which post she continued to hold till 01.08.2004. On 02.08.2004, she was promoted as District & Sessions Judge (Special Division-II) at Gangtok in the cadre of the Sikkim Superior Judicial Service and subsequently, on 23.11.2004 transferred and posted as Registrar, High Court of Sikkim. On 26.10.2006, she was posted as Registrar General, High Court of Sikkim.
While posted as Registrar and Registrar General, she held additional charge of :
(a) District & Sessions Judge (Special Division-I)
(b) Judge, Family Court of Sikkim
(c) Secretary, High Court Legal Services Committee
(d) Member Secretary, Sikkim State Legal Services Authority
(e) Central Project Coordinator (e-Committee)
On 27.10.2008, she was transferred and posted as District & Sessions Judge (East & North) Sikkim at Gangtok till 14.04.2009, where she held additional charge of District & Sessions Judge (Special Division-I) at Gangtok and various assignments under Special Acts during her said posting, as follows:-
(a)Special Judge, NDPS Act, 1985 and Special Judge, Sikkim Anti-drugs Act, 2006 for East and North Sikkim.
(b)Special Judge, Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
(c)Single Member, MACT for East and North Sikkim.
(d)Judge, Family Court for the whole of Sikkim.
(e)Special Judge, Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
(f)President, District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum (East & North) Districts of Sikkim.
(g)Member Secretary, Sikkim State Legal Services Authority
(h)Secretary, High Court Legal Services Committee
She was transferred back as Registrar General, High Court of Sikkim on 09.04.2009 and joined the post on 15.04.2009. She held additional charge of Member Secretary, Sikkim State Legal Services Authority from January 2005 till January 2010. She was Secretary, High Court Legal Services Committee from 28.03.2007 till 27.03.2009.
On 30.06.2010 she was transferred and posted as District and Sessions Judge, South & West Sikkim at Namchi till 15.07.2012 and held various assignments under Special Acts during her said posting, as follows:-
(a)Special Judge, NDPS Act, 1985 and Special Judge, Sikkim Anti-drugs Act, 2006 for South & West Sikkim.
(b)Special Judge, Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 for South & West Sikkim.
(c)Single Member, MACT for South & West Sikkim.
(d)Judge, Family Court for South & West Sikkim.
(e)Special Judge, Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 for South and West Sikkim.
(f)President, District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum (South & West) Districts of Sikkim.
(g)`Chairperson, District Legal Services Authority, South & West Sikkim
On 16.07.2012, she was transferred and posted as District & Sessions Judge (East & North) Districts of Sikkim at Gangtok and held additional charge of District & Sessions Judge (Special Division-I) at Gangtok and various assignments as before.
On 29.07.2013, she was designated as Principal District & Sessions (East) District at Gangtok. She was elevated as Judge, High Court of Sikkim on 15.04.2015, being the first lady from Sikkim to be elevated to the post and assumed charge of the Office of the Judge, High Court of Sikkim in the forenoon of the same date.
