Nick Jones at 07:43, 23 April 2026

2026-04-23T07:43:37Z

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{{short description|23rd Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix = Hon'ble Chief Justice (Retd.)
| name = Biswanath Somadder
| honorific_suffix =
| image = Pic of justice Biswanath Somadder.jpg
| alt = 200px
| caption =
| office = [[List of former chief justices of the high courts of India#Sikkim High Court|23rd Chief Justice]] of [[Sikkim High Court]]
| term_start = 12 October 2021
| term_end = 14 December 2025
| appointer = [[Ram Nath Kovind]]
| nominator = [[N. V. Ramana]]
| predecessor = {{ubl|[[J. K. Maheshwari]]|[[Meenakshi Madan Rai|M. M. Rai]] (acting)}}
| successor = {{ubl|[[A. Muhamed Mustaque]]|[[Meenakshi Madan Rai|M. M. Rai]] (acting)}}
| office1 = [[List of former chief justices of the high courts of India#Meghalaya High Court|9th Chief Justice]] of [[Meghalaya High Court]]
| term_start1 = 27 April 2020
| term_end1 = 11 October 2021
| appointer1 = [[Ram Nath Kovind]]
| nominator1 = [[Sharad Arvind Bobde]]
| predecessor1 = [[Mohammad Rafiq (judge)|Mohammad Rafiq]]
| successor1 = [[Ranjit Vasantrao More]]
| office2 = [[Judge]] of [[Allahabad High Court]]
| term_start2 = 17 October 2019
| term_end2 = 26 April 2020
| nominator2 = [[Ranjan Gogoi]]
| appointer2 = [[Ram Nath Kovind]]
| office3 = [[Judge]] of [[Calcutta High Court]]
| term_start3 = 22 June 2006
| term_end3 = 16 October 2019
| nominator3 = [[Yogesh Kumar Sabharwal]]
| appointer3 = [[A. P. J. Abdul Kalam]]
| predecessor3 =
| successor3 =
| term_start4 = 1 January 2019
| term_end4 = 3 April 2019
| status4 = [[Acting (law)|Acting]] [[Chief Justice]]
| appointer4 = [[Ram Nath Kovind]]
| predecessor4 = [[Debasish Kar Gupta]]
| successor4 = [[T. B. Radhakrishnan]]
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1963|12|15}}
| birth_place =
| spouse =
| children =
| alma_mater = [[University of Calcutta]]
| education = [[Bachelor of Arts|B. A.]] and [[LL.B.]]
}}

'''Biswanath Somadder''' (born 15 December 1963) is a retired Indian judge, who has served as [[Chief Justice]] of [[Sikkim High Court]] and [[Meghalaya High Court]]. He is a former [[judge]] of [[Allahabad High Court]] and [[Calcutta High Court]]. He has also served as [[Chief justice|Acting Chief Justice]] of the [[Calcutta High Court]] in 2019.<ref name="Calcutta High Court - Judges">{{Cite web|title=Calcutta High Court - Judges|url=https://www.calcuttahighcourt.gov.in/Judges/31|access-date=2021-12-01|website=www.calcuttahighcourt.gov.in}}</ref>

==Early life and education==
Justice Somadder was born on 15 December 1963. He completed his schooling from the La Martiniere for Boys school, [[Kolkata|Calcutta]]. He then passed his Bachelor of Arts and [[LL.B]]. from the [[University of Calcutta]] and also completed a Certificate Course on Office Automation Tools under the Computer Education Programme of the Regional Computer Centre, [[Kolkata]].<ref name="Calcutta High Court - Judges"/>

==Career==
Somadder was enrolled as an advocate on 21 July 1989. He practised in the High Court at Calcutta as well as the [[Supreme Court of India]] and also appeared before [[Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal|CESTAT]], Eastern Regional Bench. Somadder practised in Constitutional (Customs & Central Excise, FERA, Telecommunication, Education, Service and Income Tax), Arbitration, Company, Revenue, Civil and Criminal matters, and specialised in Revenue, Arbitration and Constitutional laws. Somadder was senior counsel for the Central Government in the High Court at Calcutta and was also the honorary joint secretary of the Bar Library Club of Calcutta High Court, till just prior to his elevation.<ref name="Calcutta High Court - Judges"/>

On 22 June 2006, he was elevated as a permanent judge of the [[Calcutta High Court]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oneindia.com/2006/06/22/16-new-judges-join-calcutta-high-court-1150981658.html|title=16 new judges join Calcutta High Court|last=|first=|date=|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=28 December 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/16-new-judges-five-slots-still-empty/cid/794393|title=16 new judges, five slots still empty|last=|first=|date=|website=telegraphindia.com|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=28 December 2018}}</ref> Justice Somadder was appointed the executive chairman of the State Legal Services Authority of [[West Bengal]] on 5 November 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.calcuttahighcourt.gov.in/Judges/31|title=Judge Information|last=|first=|date=|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=28 December 2018}}</ref> Appointed Judge-in-Charge, Administrative Department, High Court at Calcutta, to discharge the functions assigned under the Appellate Side Rules of the High Court at Calcutta, with effect from 19 November 2018. He became the Acting Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court from 1 January 2019 and retained the post till 3 April 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://barandbench.com/biswanath-somadder-acting-chief-justice-calcutta-hc/|title=Justice Biswanath Somadder appointed Acting Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court|last=|first=|date=|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=28 December 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/biswanath-somadder-to-be-acting-chief-justice-from-january-1/articleshow/67280731.cms|title=Biswanath Somadder to be acting chief justice from January 1|last=|first=|date=|website=timesofindia.indiatimes.com|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=28 December 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sangbadbiswabangla.com/2018/12/28/chief-justice-high-court-justice-biswanath-samadder/|title=হাইকোর্টের নতুন ভারপ্রাপ্ত প্রধান বিচারপতি বিশ্বনাথ সমাদ্দার|language=bn|last=|first=|date=|website=|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=28 December 2018}}</ref> He assumed charge as judge of the [[Allahabad High Court]] on 17 October 2019.

On 23 April 2020, he was appointed the [[Chief justice]] of [[Meghalaya High Court]] and took oath on 27 April 2020.<ref>{{cite news |title=Justice Biswanath Somadder new chief justice of Meghalaya High Court |url=https://nenow.in/north-east-news/meghalaya/justice-biswanath-somadder-new-chief-justice-of-meghalaya-high-court.html |accessdate=24 April 2020 |work=NORTHEAST NOW}}</ref> He was transferred as Chief Justice of [[Sikkim High Court]] on 9 October 2021 and took oath on 12 October 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ritu |date=2024-01-04 |title=Know Thy Judge {{!}} Justice Biswanath Somadder, 24th Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court |url=https://www.scconline.com/blog/post/2024/01/04/justice-biswanath-somadder-24th-chief-justice-of-sikkim-high-court-scc-blog-scc-blog-legal-research-news/ |access-date=2025-12-13 |website=SCC Times |language=en-US}}</ref> He was not elevated to Supreme Court though he has been the senior most High Court judge in the [[List of sitting judges of the high courts of India#List of Judges by seniority (in cumulative)|all India Seniority of all High Court judges]] for more than 2 years. His and [[Dipankar Datta|Dipankar Datta's]] non elevation to Supreme Court in May 2022 has generated significant controversy when much junior [[J. B. Pardiwala]] of [[Gujarat High Court]] was elevated to Supreme Court,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Bengal judges denied elevation to Supreme Court |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/denial-of-bengal-judges-elevation-to-supreme-court-sparks-row/cid/1864706}}</ref> had they both were elevated at this time both Somadder and Datta would be in line to become CJI in 2028.<ref name=":0" /> However, in December 2022, Dipankar Datta (junior to Justice Somadder, though both became judge on same day i.e. 22 June 2006) was elevated to Supreme court but Justice Somadder was left.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bureau |first=The Hindu |date=2022-12-12 |title=Ex-Bombay HC Chief Justice Dipankar Datta takes oath as Supreme Court judge |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/ex-bombay-hc-chief-justice-dipankar-datta-takes-oath-as-supreme-court-judge/article66253854.ece |access-date=2025-12-13 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> Again in March 2025, appointment of Junior judge [[Joymalya Bagchi]] of Calcutta High Court to Supreme Court bypassing senior judges including Somadder has generated contorversy.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-03-07 |title=SC Collegium Supersedes These 10 HC Judges to Nominate Justice Bagchi to Supreme Court - Law Trend |url=https://lawtrend.in/sc-collegium-supersedes-10-hc-judges-to-nominate-justice-bagchi-to-supreme-court/ |access-date=2025-12-13 |language=en-US}}</ref>

He retired as Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court on 14 December 2025 upon reaching age of superannuation i.e. 62 years, bringing an end to 2 decades long career as Judge.<ref>{{Cite web |title=High Court of Sikkim holds Full Court Reference to bid farewell to Chief Justice Biswanath Somadder |url=https://sikkimexpress.com/high-court-of-sikkim-holds-full-court-reference-to-bid-farewell-to-chief-justice-biswanath-somadder |access-date=2025-12-13 |website=Sikkimexpress |language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Somadder, Biswanath}}
[[Category:1963 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Judges of the Calcutta High Court]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian judges]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian lawyers]]
[[Category:University of Calcutta alumni]]
[[Category:Indian Senior Counsel]]
[[Category:Judges of the Allahabad High Court]]
[[Category:Chief justices of the Meghalaya High Court]]
[[Category:Chief justices of the Sikkim High Court]]

Biswanath Somadder - Revision history

Nick Jones at 07:43, 23 April 2026