PANAJI
The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended the elevation of five High Court judges as Chief Justices of different High Courts across the country, including Goa-based Bombay High Court's Justice M S Sonak.
Justice Sonak, who has been serving at the Bombay High Court’s Goa Bench and is among the senior-most judges there, has been recommended for appointment as the Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court.
According to the statement published by the Collegium on the Supreme Court website, his appointment will be effective upon retirement of incumbent Chief Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan on January 8, 2026.
Justice Sonak was born on November 28, 1964. He completed school education from Don Bosco High School at Panaji in Goa and B Sc. from Dhempe College of Arts & Science.
He took his LL.B. degree from, from MS College of Law in Panaji and enrolled as an advocate in 1988.
He practiced at Panaji Bench of the Bombay High Court and was later appointed Additional Standing Counsel for Central Government, Special Counsel for State Government and Statutory Corporations.
He was elevated as an additional judge of the Bombay High Court on June 21, 2013. Recently, he became the first person in Goa to register a 'living will'.
The Collegium also recommended Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta of the Allahabad High Court as Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court, Justice Revati P Mohite Dere of the Bombay High Court as Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court, Justice A Muhamed Mustaque of the Kerala High Court as Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court, and Justice Sangam Kumar Sahoo of the Orissa High Court as Chief Justice of the Patna High Court.
