Swatanter Kumar is a retired justice of the Supreme Court of India and former chairperson of the National Green Tribunal. He is also former chief justice of Bombay High Court and judge of the Delhi High Court and the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Swatanter Kumar
Chairperson of the National Green Tribunal
In office
20 December 2012 – 19 December 2017
Appointed byManmohan Singh
Judge of the Supreme Court of India
In office
18 December 2009 – 19 December 2012
Nominated byK. G. Balakrishnan
Appointed byPratibha Patil
Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court
In office
31 March 2007 – 17 December 2009
Nominated byK. G. Balakrishnan
Appointed byA. P. J. Abdul Kalam
Judge of the Delhi High Court
In office
4 October 2004 – 30 March 2007
Nominated byRamesh Chandra Lahoti
Appointed byA. P. J. Abdul Kalam
Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court
In office
30 November 1994 – 3 October 2004
Nominated byAziz Mushabber Ahmadi
Appointed byShankar Dayal Sharma
Judge of the Delhi High Court
In office
10 November 1994 – 29 November 1994
Nominated byAziz Mushabber Ahmadi
Appointed byShankar Dayal Sharma
Personal details
Born (1947-12-31) 31 December 1947 (age 76)

Biography

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Kumar enrolled as an advocate with the Delhi Bar Council on 12 July 1971.[1][2] He practiced in various high courts, tribunals and the Supreme Court, and served as an additional district & sessions judge in the Himachal Pradesh High Court from February, 1983 till his resignation in October 1983, and thereafter resumed practice at New Delhi.[1][2] He was appointed an additional judge of the Delhi High Court on 10 November 1994, transferred to P&H on 30 November 1994, and was appointed a permanent judge on 30 November 1995. He transferred to Delhi on 4 October 2004 and was appointed Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court on 31 March 2007.[1][2]

The appointment of Kumar to the Supreme Court by then President Pratibha Patil was announced by the Law and Justice Ministry in December 2009.[3]

He was appointed the chairperson of National Green Tribunal on 20 December 2012 and retired on 20 December 2017.[4][5][6]

Sexual harassment allegations

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In 2014, a law intern alleged that Kumar sexually harassed her.[7] Justice Kumar said that these allegations are a part of a "malicious conspiracy to damage his reputation".[8]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Web site of Supreme Court of India
  2. ^ a b c Chairman of Green Tribunal
  3. ^ "Swatanter Kumar appointed Supreme Court judge". The Hindu. 17 December 2009. Retrieved 7 August 2010.
  4. ^ . He retired from his post on 20 December 2017 The Gazette of India
  5. ^ Ministry of Environment and Forests (India)
  6. ^ "NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar retires". India.com. Press Trust of india. 19 December 2017. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  7. ^ "These former Supreme Court judges faced sexual harassment allegations too". India Today. 20 April 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  8. ^ Mahapatra, Dhananjay (14 February 2014). "Sexual harassment charges a conspiracy: Justice Swatanter Kumar". The Times of India. Retrieved 2 August 2020.