Chief Justices need lengthier terms.

• Eight Chief Justices were appointed to eight High Courts across India in September, but all, except one, have very short tenures.

• The short tenures affect the institutional effectiveness of the judiciary.

• Justice Rajiv Shakdher, Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, retired after 24 days.

• Justice Manmohan, Acting Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, was sworn in as Chief Justice on September 29.

• Justice Tashi Rabstan will serve a tenure of about six months as Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

• Justice Suresh Kumar Kit will serve a tenure of about eight months.

• Justice K.R. Shriram, Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, will serve a one-year tenure.

• Justice Indra Prasanna Mukerji, Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court, will also be retiring around the same time as Justice Shriram.

• Justice Nitin Madhukar Jamdar, Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court, has a tenure of about 15 months.

• Justice M.S. Ramachandra Rao, Chief Justice in Jharkhand, will serve a relatively long tenure of about four years.

• The Chief Justice’s role is pivotal in sustaining the institution’s health, administering the institution, tracking its financial health, recommending names for judgeship, forming committees, attending to the welfare of the staff, taking disciplinary action, responding to administrative requests, and addressing problems related to legal education.

• The short tenure of Chief Justices is a persistent problem that needs to be addressed by a joint deliberation of stakeholders, including the Bar.