By IANS,
Shillong: Justice Toom Meera Kumari was Saturday sworn in as the first chief justice of the newly constituted Meghalaya High Court.
Governor R.S. Mooshahary administered the oath of office to Kumari at Raj Bhavan. She was a judge at the Patna High Court before taking over her new assignment here.
Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, Deputy Chief Minister in-charge of Law Rowell Lyngdoh and assembly Speaker Abu Taher Mondal were among those who attended the historic swearing-in ceremony.
Kumari, who scripted history for being the first woman chief justice in this matrilineal state, later administered the oath to judges Sudip Ranjan Sen and Tayengjam Nadakumar Singh of the Meghalaya High Court.
“It is a great honour and priviledge to be chosen for the post and I would try to live up to the expectations of all the people,” Kumari said after the swearing-in-ceremony.
She said that setting up fast-track courts to try cases relating to crime against women would be her priority. “Fast track courts have to be established. This will be my priority,” she said.
Kumari’s priority is in tune with the Meghalaya government’s decision to set up more fast-track court in the state to try cases involving women, especially rape. The state has a high number of cases relating to crime against women and the conviction rate in many of these cases has been poor.
The obligatory amendment to the North-Eastern Areas (Re-organisation) Act, 1971 – the North-Eastern Areas (Re-organisation) and Other Related Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2012 – was passed by the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha in May 2012, paving the way for the creation of separate high courts in Tripura, Meghalaya and Manipur.
With three more high courts, the total number of high courts in India has increased from 21 to 24.
The new Meghalaya High Court will be inaugurated by Union Law and Justice Minister Ashwani Kumar Mar 25 in the presence of Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir and Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma.
“A decade-old demand is going to be fulfilled. This is a victory in a long struggle,” Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Law Rowell Lyngdoh told IANS.
He said having a separate high court would help dispose pending cases faster.
Meghalaya and Manipur would have three judges each and Tripura would have four judges.
Only Mizoram, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh would now come under the jurisdiction of the Gauhati high court in Assam.
Earlier, the seven northeast states — Assam, Tripura, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh — had been under the Gauhati High Court with benches in the respective state capitals. Sikkim has a separate high court.