Justice Vivek Rusia Appointed Acting Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court
The President appointed Justice Vivek Rusia to perform the duties of Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court after Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva's elevation to the Supreme Court of India.
The Ministry of Law and Justice, Department of Justice, issued a Gazette notification on 1 June 2026 appointing Justice Vivek Rusia, a sitting Judge of the High Court of Madhya Pradesh, to perform the duties of the office of Chief Justice of that court. The appointment follows the elevation of Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, who was serving as Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, to the Supreme Court of India. The notification was issued under Article 223 of the Constitution of India, which empowers the President to appoint a Judge of a High Court to discharge the duties of the Chief Justice when that office falls vacant or when the Chief Justice is unable to perform those duties.
The Constitutional Basis for the Appointment
Article 223 of the Constitution provides the mechanism for filling the office of Chief Justice of a High Court on an acting basis. When a Chief Justice is appointed to a higher office or is otherwise unable to act, the President may direct a sitting Judge of that court to perform the Chief Justice's duties. The notification invokes this provision directly, citing Justice Sachdeva's appointment as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India as the triggering event.
The notification was signed by Jaganna Srinivasan, Joint Secretary to the Government of India, and the copy was signed by Anant Kumar, Under Secretary to the Government of India, both from the Appointments Division, Jaisalmer House, New Delhi.
Distribution and Administrative Effect
Copies of the notification were directed to a range of constitutional and administrative authorities. These included the Secretary to the Governor of Madhya Pradesh, the Secretary to the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, the Chief Secretary of the Government of Madhya Pradesh, the Accountant General of Madhya Pradesh, the President's Secretariat, and the office of the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister. Within the judiciary, copies were sent to the Registrar General of the Madhya Pradesh High Court at Jabalpur and to the Registrar (Confidential) in the office of the Chief Justice of India at the Supreme Court.
The notification was also directed to the Technical Director, NIC, Department of Justice, for upload to the Department's website.
Outcome
With effect from 1 June 2026, Justice Vivek Rusia performs the duties of the office of Chief Justice of the High Court of Madhya Pradesh, Jabalpur. The appointment is consequential upon Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva's transition to the Supreme Court of India. The notification bears reference number K. 11019/09/2026-US.I/II.