Sanjay Karol
Hon'ble Justice (Retd.) Sanjay Karol | |
|---|---|
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| Judge of Supreme Court of India | |
| In office 6 February 2023 – 22 August 2026 | |
| Nominated by | D. Y. Chandrachud |
| Appointed by | Droupadi Murmu |
| 43rd Chief Justice of Patna High Court | |
| In office 11 November 2019 – 5 February 2023 | |
| Nominated by | Ranjan Gogoi |
| Appointed by | Ram Nath Kovind |
| Preceded by | Amreshwar Pratap Sahi |
| Succeeded by |
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| 4th Chief Justice of Tripura High Court | |
| In office 14 November 2018 – 10 November 2019 | |
| Nominated by | Ranjan Gogoi |
| Appointed by | Ram Nath Kovind |
| Preceded by |
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| Succeeded by |
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| Judge of Himachal Pradesh High Court | |
| In office 8 March 2007 – 13 November 2018 | |
| Nominated by | K. G. Balakrishnan |
| Appointed by | A. P. J. Abdul Kalam |
| In office 25 April 2017 – 4 October 2018 | |
| Appointed by | Pranab Mukherjee |
| Preceded by | Mansoor Ahmad Mir |
| Succeeded by | Surya Kant |
| Advocate General of Himachal Pradesh | |
| In office 30 March 1998 – 1 March 2003 | |
| Appointed by | V. S. Ramadevi |
| Chief Minister | Prem Kumar Dhumal |
| Preceded by | Chhabil Dass |
| Succeeded by | M. S. Chandel |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 23 August 1961 |
| Alma mater | St. Edward's School, Shimla Himachal Pradesh University |
Sanjay Karol (born 23 August 1961) is a retired judge of the Supreme Court of India.[1] He is a former chief justice of the Patna High Court and Tripura High Court.[2] He has also served as judge and acting chief justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court. He also served as Advocate General of Himachal Pradesh.[3]
Early life and background
Karol was born in Shimla in 1961. He hails from Garli, a historic village in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh. He spent his foundational years in Shimla, completing his schooling at St. Edward's School, Shimla and graduation with History Honours from Government College, Sanjauli. He earned his law degree from Faculty of law, Himachal Pradesh University and in 1986 he was enrolled as an advocate transitioning into legal practice, he quickly built a reputation for excellence, handling diverse matters ranging from constitutional law to corporate and criminal cases. His prowess led to his appointment as the Advocate General of Himachal Pradesh from 1998 to 2003, when Prem Kumar Dhumal became chief minister following 1998 Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly election. In 1999 he was designated as senior advocate of Himachal Pradesh High Court.[4]
Career
His judicial trajectory began on 8 March 2007, when he was elevated as a judge of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, where he also served as the Acting Chief Justice from 25 April 2017 till appointment of Surya Kant as permanent chief justice on 5 October 2018.[5][6] A pivotal chapter of his leadership unfolded when he was appointed Chief Justice of the Tripura High Court on 14 November 2018.[7] During his brief yet transformative tenure there, Justice Karol gained national attention by dramatically cutting the High Court's case pendency by more than half, streamlining judicial administration, and actively visiting remote regions to improve legal access.[4] On 11 November 2019, he took charge as the Chief Justice of the Patna High Court, one of the oldest and busiest high courts in India.[8] There, he navigated complex administrative challenges and oversaw a massive push toward digitization and infrastructure upgrades during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recognising his vast experience and administrative competence, the Supreme Court Collegium recommended his elevation to the Supreme Court of India on 13 December 2022.[9] However central government cleared his appointment only in February 2023 and he took oath on 6 February 2023.[10] At the apex court, Justice Karol established himself as one of its most prolific and hard-working judges, authoring an impressive 273 judgments during his tenure. Beyond the sheer volume of his output, he was deeply celebrated for his deeply compassionate, human-centric courtroom approach. He famously avoided using harsh or abrupt legal language, ensuring every litigant walked away feeling fully heard. His judgments frequently began with vivid narrative summaries and evocative prose, reflecting a profound sense of empathy for the marginalized and vulnerable segments of society.[11]
Justice Karol’s legal legacy is marked by landmark rulings that structurally advanced social and economic equity in India. In a progressive step for gender justice, he co-authored a judgment establishing a new monetary compensation framework for the "loss of domestic care" under the Motor Vehicles Act, legally recognizing and quantifying the unpaid labour of homemakers as vital "nation-builders."[12] He strongly championed the rights of tribal women by ruling that they are entitled to an equal share of ancestral property, dismantling historical succession bars.[13] Furthermore, he vigorously defended elder welfare, upholding the right of senior citizens to reclaim properties gifted to their children if they are subsequently neglected. His retirement on 22 August 2026 marked the conclusion of nearly two decades of exemplary judicial service that bridged rigorous legal orthodoxy with compassionate social engineering.[14]
References
- ↑ "Justice Sanjay Karol | Supreme Court of India | India". www.sci.gov.in. Archived from the original on 15 November 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
- ↑ "Sanjay Karol sworn in as new chief justice of Tripura HC". Retrieved 6 December 2018.
- ↑ "ADVOCATE GENERAL HIMACHAL PRADESH". advocategeneral.hp.gov.in. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
- 1 2 "Sanjay Karol". Supreme Court Observer. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
- ↑ "Looking back at magnificent tenure of Justice Sanjay Karol at HP High Court". 4 October 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
- ↑ "Two judges of Himachal High Court take oath". India Today. PTI. 8 January 2018. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
- ↑ "Welcome to High Court of Tripura". www.thc.nic.in. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
- ↑ "Justice Sanjay Karol to be sworn-in as new Patna high court chief justice on Monday". The Times of India. 10 November 2019. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
- ↑ Rajagopal, Krishnadas (13 December 2022). "Collegium recommends five judges to be appointed to the Supreme Court". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
- ↑ "Five judges elevated to Supreme Court to take oath today: Who are they?". Hindustan Times. 4 February 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2026.
- ↑ "Justice Sanjay Karol's tenure in numbers". Supreme Court Observer. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
- ↑ Desk -SC, Lawbeat News (12 June 2026). "Supreme Court Fixes Rs 30,000 Monthly Value for Homemakers' Work in MACT Cases | Supreme Court Fixes Rs 30,000 Monthly Value for Homemakers' Work in MACT Cases". lawbeat.in. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
- ↑ "Inheritance Rights of Tribal Woman in Ancestral Property". Supreme Court Observer. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
- ↑ "A Judge who Lived the Constitution: Justice Sanjay Karol bids adieu to the Supreme Court after a tenure of 3 Years". SCC Times. 22 August 2026. Retrieved 22 August 2026.