History

NATIONAL JUDICIAL ACADEMY

The National Judicial Academy is an Indian Government funded training Institute primarily for Judicial Officers. The Institute was registered on 17.08.1993 under the Societies Registrations Act of 1860. Shri N.R. Madhava Menon being the founding Director. The basic aim of training briefly spelt out is to equip the trainees not only with tools to execute their work, but to endow them with vision as to what is expected of the system which they serve. What is meant by Justice ? What is decision making process? What are the goals of the Constitution? What is the direction in which law must move ? What does the dictum justice according to law imply ? In the All India Judges’ Association Case, AIR 1992 SC 165 and in the order on the Review Petition, AIR 1993 SC 2493, the Supreme Court declared the urgent need to organize judicial education on a systematic basis through National and State Judicial Academies. Then, the Supreme Court in the more recent case that is , Union of India , (2002) 4 SCC 247 laid emphasis in depth training for Judicial Officers.

It was in this background that Sikkim Judicial Academy came into existence, through the vision of the  Hon’ble Chief Justice, High Court of Sikkim, Shri Permod Kohli.

During March 2010, under the 13th Finance Commission, funds were release for establishment of Sikkim Judicial Academy. On 8 June 2010, a Full Court meeting passed a resolution to establish a State Judicial Academy in Sikkim, recognizing that the main vehicle for training Judicial Officers is the State Judicial Academy.

Though the Full Court on 08.06.2010 had resolved to establish Sikkim Judicial Academy, it was finally on 06.08.2011, the Hon’ble High Court decided to establish the Sikkim Judicial Academy. Accordingly, on 12.03.2012, it was placed before the Full Court and the then Secretary, Urban Development and Housing Department (UD&HD) informed about the availability of land for Sikkim Judicial Academy at Sokeythang.

In a Full Court decision held on 02.05.2013, the Hon’ble High Court was pleased to constitute the first Board of Governors of Sikkim Judicial Academy vide notification no. 15/HCS dated 17.05.2013 consisting of following members :

1. Hon’ble the Chief Justice High Court of Sikkim	President
2. 1st Puisne Judge, High Court of Sikkim	Member
3. 2nd Puisne Judge, High Court of Sikkim	Member
4. A former Judge of the Sikkim High Court to be nominated by the Hon’ble Chief Justice	Member

Further, as resolved, once the present Chief Justice demits office, the Board of Governors of the Sikkim Judicial Academy shall be as follows:

1. Hon’ble Mr. Justice P.C. Kuriakose	President Emeritus
2. Hon’ble the Chief Justice, High Court of Sikkim	Patron-in-Chief
3. 1st Puisne Judge, High Court of Sikkim	Member
4. 2nd Puisne Judge, High Court of Sikkim	Member
5. A former Judge of the Sikkim High Court to be nominated by the Hon’ble Chief Justice	Member

The Sikkim Judicial Academy at its commencement was constituted with the following as the Members of the Board of Governors comprising:

1. Hon’ble Mr. Justice Pius C. Kuriakose, Chief Justice, High Court of Sikkim	President
2. Hon’ble Mr. Justice Sonam P. Wangdi, Judge, High Court of Sikkim	Member
3. Hon’ble Mr. Justice A. P. Subba, Former Judge, High Court of Sikkim	Member

1. Hon’ble the Chief Justice	Chairman
2. Hon’ble Mr. Justice Bhaskar Raj Pradhan, Judge, High Court of Sikkim	Judge In-charge
3. Mr. A. Moulik, Sr. Advocate, Gangtok	Member
4. Registrar, High Court of Sikkim	Director

In partial modification to Notification NO.15/HCS dated 31.05.2017, Hon'ble the Acting Chief Justice was pleased to re-constitute a committee specified at Sl. No. 2 for the Sikkim Judicial Academy, comprising the following members:

1. Hon’ble the Chief Justice	Chairperson
2. Hon’ble Mr. Justice Bhaskar Raj Pradhan, Judge, High Court of Sikkim	Judge In-charge
3. Mr. A. Moulik, Sr. Advocate, Gangtok	Member
4. Mrs. Samita Sharma, SSJA, Director, Sikkim Judicial Academy	Member

 

The logo of Sikkim Judicial Academy designed by Hon’ble Mrs. Justice Meenakshi Madan Rai, Judge, High Court of Sikkim, the then District & Sessions Judge, East & North Sikkim at Gangtok was approved by the Hon’ble Chief Justice on 08.05.2013.