Who is Justice Hima Kohli?

• Justice Hima Kohli was born on 02^nd September 1959 in Delhi. In 2021 she was appointed as chief justice of Telangana High Court. She was the first woman Chief Justice of this Court.

How was the Career Journey of Justice Hima Kohli?

• Justice Hima Kohli completed LLB from University of Delhi in the year 1984.
• Thereafter she enrolled as an Advocate with the Bar Council of Delhi in 1984.
• She was appointed as the Additional Standing Counsel Civil, Government of Delhi in the Delhi High Court in 2004.
• She was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Delhi High Court on 29^th May 2006 and elevated as a permanent Judge on 29^th August 2007.
• In 2020, Kohli headed a judicial committee that monitored the response of Delhi government during the pandemic of Covid-19.
• She became the chairperson of the Delhi State Legal Services Authority in 2020.
• She was also appointed as Chancellor of NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad.
• She took oath as a Judge of Supreme court on 31^st August 2021.

What are the Notable Judgments of Justice Hima Kohli?

• Saddak Hussain v. State (NCT of Delhi) (2019)
  • In this case Delhi High Court (HC) held that the in the absence of a substantive charge framed against the appellant under Section 302 of Indian Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) he cannot be convicted under Section 302 IPC.
    • HC set aside the order of conviction of appellant given by trial court.
  • The bench also consisting of Justice Hima Kohli held that this is an illegality which is not curable in the circumstances of the present case as in the absence of any substantive charge framed against the appellant under Section 302 IPC, the appellant was misled in his defence.
• Aureliano Fernandes v. Sate of Goa & Ors. (2023)
  • In this case Supreme Court given judgment regarding sexual harassment of women at workplace and issue directions for (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (PoSH Act).
  • The bench also consisting of Justice A S Bopanna said that even though the PoSH Act was enacted in 2013, there is lapse in the enforcement of the Act.
  • SC isssue directions and said immediate and effective steps shall be taken by the authorities/ managements/employers with their duties and the manner in which an inquiry ought to be conducted on receiving a complaint of sexual harassment at the workplace, from the point when the complaint is received, till the inquiry is finally concluded and the report submitted.
• Parwez Parwaz and Another v. State of Uttar Pradesh and Ors. (2022)
  • This case was related to the hate speech of Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. In this case SC held that nothing survives after the submission of closure report by the investigating agency. And the present appeal into a purely academic exercise.
  • The bench also consisting of Justice Hima Kohli said that the words “No Court shall take cognizance” employed in Section 196 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (CRPC) creates consequential bar under the said provision would undoubtedly show that the bar is against ‘taking of cognizance by the Court’.