Justice Meenakshi Madan Rai Recommended as Next Chief Justice of Patna High Court

May 24, 2026 : The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended the appointment of Justice Meenakshi M. Rai, currently serving as a judge of the Sikkim High Court, as the next Chief Justice of the Patna High Court. The recommendation comes ahead of the retirement of the incumbent Chief Justice on June 4, 2026.

The decision was taken during a meeting of the Collegium held on May 22, 2026. The Collegium was headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and included Justice BV Nagarathna, Justice JK Maheshwari, Justice Vikram Nath and Justice MM Sundresh.

According to the resolution issued by the Collegium, the recommendation will now be forwarded to the Union Ministry of Law and Justice for further processing. The appointment will take effect after the President of India issues the warrant of appointment under Article 217 of the Constitution.

Justice Rai’s elevation is being seen as a significant step in strengthening women’s representation in the higher judiciary. Upon appointment, she would join the limited number of women currently serving as Chief Justices of High Courts in the country.

Born on July 12, 1964, Justice Rai completed her early education in Sikkim and later studied at Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University, where she pursued Political Science (Honours) on a merit scholarship from the Government of Sikkim. She subsequently obtained her LL.B. degree from the Campus Law Centre, Delhi University, in 1989.

She enrolled with the Bar Association of Delhi in 1990 and practised before the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court of India before joining the Sikkim Judicial Service the same year. She became the first woman judicial officer from Sikkim after being appointed as Judicial Magistrate First Class-cum-Civil Judge at Gangtok.

During her judicial career, Justice Rai served in several important capacities, including Chief Judicial Magistrate, District and Sessions Judge, Registrar and Registrar General of the Sikkim High Court. She also handled responsibilities under various special legislations and legal services institutions, including the Sikkim State Legal Services Authority and the High Court Legal Services Committee.

Justice Rai was elevated as a judge of the Sikkim High Court on April 15, 2015, becoming the first woman from the State to be appointed to the High Court Bench. She has served as Acting Chief Justice on multiple occasions, including in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and most recently between December 2025 and January 2026.

Her proposed appointment to the Patna High Court is being viewed as an important development in the judicial appointments process, considering her judicial seniority, administrative experience and long tenure in constitutional courts.

The biographical and service details relating to Justice Rai have been sourced from the official website of the High Court of Sikkim.