Supreme Court Collegium recommends Advocate Tejas Dhirenbhai Karia for Appointment as a Judge of the Delhi High Court

On August 29, 2024 (Thursday), the Supreme Court (SC) Collegium passed a resolution that recommended the name of Advocate Tejas Dhirenbhai Karia for appointment as a judge of the Delhi High Court (HC). Last year on October 25, the then Chief Justice of Delhi HC in consultation with his two senior-most colleagues made this recommendation. According to the information provided by the Department of Justice, “nothing adverse as to the integrity of the candidate has come to notice.” The resolution further reads, “As far as observation of Department of Justice regarding age of the candidate is concerned, we are of the view that the candidate fulfills the threshold age criterion of 45 years as on the date of recommendation by the Collegium of the High Court.”

While recommending Advocate Tejas Dhirenbhai Karia's name, the Collegium noted that he is a domain expert in the law of arbitration. The volume of cases on arbitration law requires specialized handling, particularly, in the Delhi HC. The SC Collegium further said, “Shri Tejas Dhirenbhai Karia will prove to be a value addition to the Bench of the High Court of Delhi. Besides appearing in arbitration cases before the High Courts and the Supreme Court, Shri Tejas Dhirenbhai Karia has extensive experience in conducting arbitrations, both domestic and international. While doing so, a practitioner has to have knowledge of other branches of law, civil procedure, evidence, and commercial law.”

The Collegium, upon persuing the judgments in the cases which he argued, said that it is apparent that Tejas Dhirenbhai Karia conducted issues of substance before the High Courts and other Courts, including the Supreme Court. His average net professional income of Rs. 709.69 lakhs for the last 5 years is also indicative of the fact that the candidate has a substantial practice. Hence, Shri Tejas Dhirenbhai Karia is eminently fit and suitable for appointment as a Judge of the Delhi HC. Lastly, the Collegium constituting Chief Justice of India DY Chandrchud, Justice Sanjiv Khanna, and Justice BR Gavai recommended the candidature of Advocate Tejas Dhirenbhai Karia for appointment as a Judge of the Delhi High Court.