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 Registration Act of 1860 with Shri N.R. Madhava Menon as the founding Director. In the All India Judges’ Association v. Union of India (1992) 1 SCC 119 and in the order on the Review Petition, All India Judges’ Association v. Union of India and Others (1993) 4 SCC 2889, the Supreme Court declared the urgent need to organize judicial education on a systematic basis through National and State Judicial Academies. Thereafter, the Supreme Court in All India Judges Association and Others v. Union of India (2002) 4 SCC 247 laid emphasis on in depth training for the Judicial Officers.

Against this backdrop, the Sikkim Judicial Academy has come into existence, through the vision of Hon’ble Mr. Justice Permod Kohli, the Chief Justice, High Court of Sikkim, .

During March 2010, under the 13th Finance Commission, funds were released for establishment of the Sikkim Judicial Academy. The Full Court of the Hon'ble High Court of Sikkim in its meeting dated 8th June, 2010, resolved to establish a State Judicial Academy in Sikkim, recognizing it as the main vehicle for training Judicial Officers.

On a meeting held on 02.05.2013, the Full Court of the Hon’ble High Court of Sikkim 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, it was resolved that on demitting of the office by the present Chief Justice, 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, the Committee was reconstituted 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 Full Court of the Hon'ble High Court of Sikkim in its meeting held on 10.02.2026 resolved the constitution of the Board of Governors for the Sikkim Judicial Academy, vide Notification No. 18/HCS dated 21.02.2026, comprising the following members:

1. Judge-In-Charge of Sikkim Judicial Academy	President
2. Registrar, High Court of Sikkim	Member
3. Retired High Court Judge/Senior Counsel/Academician, as an expert nominated by Hon'ble the Chief Justice, High Court of Sikkim	Member
4. Secretary, Finance Department, Government of Sikkim	Member
5. Secretary, Law Department, Government of Sikkim	Member

 

Subsequently, the Hon'ble the Chief Justice, High Court of Sikkim vide Notification No. 24/HCS dated 27.02.2026 was pleased to nominate Mr. Karma Thinlay Namgyal, Senior Advocate as a member of the Board of Governors for the Sikkim Judicial Academy.

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