Kerala HC Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar Retires

The Bar and the Bench on 9th January, 2026 bid adieu to Justice Nitin Jamdar, the 39th Chief Justice of Kerala High Court. A full Court reference was made to mark the farewell of the retiring Kerala High Court Chief Justice. Justice Nitin Jamdar had assumed charge as the Chief Justice of Kerala HC on 26th September, 2026. 

Justice Nitin Jamdar is succeeded by Justice Soumen Sen as the 40th Chief Justice of Kerala High Court. Kerala’s Governor, Shri Rajendra Viswanath Arlekar administered oath to the new Chief Justice of Kerala HC on 10th January, 2026. Earlier, Justice Soumen Sen was serving as the Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court.

Words of Farewell

The Bar and the Bench of Kerala High Court bid a heartfelt farewell to retiring Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar. His work, as praised by them, reflected consistently firm and fearless dispensation of justice, untainted by prejudice and untouched by indifference. Being described as “a quiet authority”, Justice Jamdar was lauded for patiently listening to the submissions of councils and calmly engaging with them. As the Chief Justice of Kerala High Court, he took several initiatives for quick disposal of cases to reduce pendency. Focusing upon one of the details, Justice Jamdar cautioned the registry against deviation while posting cases from the fixed roster, even stating that any order passed in violation of the roster was ineffective in law. “Shebox” is an online complaint management system initiated by Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar, which serves as a platform for female High Court staff to register complaints of sexual harassment at workplace.

Background of Justice Nitin Jamdar

Family

Born on 10th January, 1964 in Maharashtra’s Solapur, Justice Namdar has had birth roots in the Legal fraternity as his father was recognized as a towering figure at the Salapu bar and also served as the Bombay High Court Judge till his retirement in 1986. His father is known as a pioneer in the field of legal education who established the first Law College in Solapur. His grandfather was also a freedom fighter, a distinguished lawyer and a District Government Pleader who established various social and educational institutions in Solapur. 

Justice Jamdar's Education

Justice Jamdar attained early education at various institutions across Maharashtra and obtained higher education in Commerce and Law. He commenced practice in 1989 under a Senior Advocate of Bombay High Court, specialising in administrative and constitutional law. During litigation practice, he represented private clients, the Union government, public institutions like universities and local subgovernment authorities, served as Standing Counsel for the High Court administration and the Union of India. 

Elevation to the Bench

On 23rd January 2012, Justice Nitim Jamdar was elevated as the Judge of Bombay High Court. He is known for the computerization movement, establishment of the first e-Court in Bombay High Court and contribution to developing model rules for digitisation proceedings. He also participated in the Artificial Intelligence Committee, is a Certified Master Trainer for CIS program. On 26th September, 2024, Justice Jamdar was elevated as the Chief Justice of Kerala High Court.