A gracious Chief Justice

The Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Shiavax Vazifdar (pictured), displayed "exemplary goodwill,” by proceeding on leave to pave the way for the High Court’s senior-most judge Justice Surinder Singh Saron to be appointed as Acting Chief Justice just days before Soren’s retirement on September 4, 2017. Vazifdar’s thoughtful gesture "is applauded,” according to a report in The Deccan Herald of August 22. Previously on August 15, Justice Vazifdar extended similar courtesy towards the senior-most judge: he stepped aside to offer Saron the privilege to unfurl the national flag at a ceremony in Chandigarh on Independence Day. "It was a rare moment when the national flag was unfurled by the senior-most judge of the High Court in the presence of the Chief Justice,” noted the report.
As per Article 217(1) of the Constitution of India, a judge of a High Court is appointed by the President of India after consultation with the Chief Justice of India, the state governor, (and in the case of the appointment of a judge other than the Chief Justice), the Chief Justice of the High Court. The Chief Justice of a High Court is appointed by the President with the consultation of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the state governor.