The Central Government has notified the appointment of Justice M. Sundar, former judge of the Madras High Court, as the Chief Justice of the Manipur High Court.

His appointment will take effect from the date he assumes charge, succeeding Chief Justice Kempaiah Somashekar, who retired on September 14, 2025.

Justice Sundar’s elevation follows the Supreme Court Collegium’s recommendation dated September 11, 2025, which proposed his name for the position.

The Manipur High Court has quashed a 1996 amendment to the Panchayat Raj Act that allowed panchayat members to continue in office beyond their five-year tenure.

A Division Bench of Chief Justice Kempaiah Somashekar and Justice A Guneshwar Sharma held the amendment unconstitutional for violating Article 243E of the Constitution, which fixes the maximum term of a panchayat at five years.

Restoring the original provision, the Court “read down” the law to replace “continue” with “cease” in Section 22(3), preventing dual authority between expired panchayat members and administrative committees.

The State has been directed to conduct fresh elections within six months.

[Mayanglambam Joykumar Singh & Anr v The State of Manipur & Ors]

The Manipur High Court ordered all state establishments to apply the Right of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, enabling transgender individuals to update their identity in official documents.

The judgment came after a transgender woman doctor sought her educational certificates to reflect her female gender and new name, matching her Aadhaar, voter ID, and PAN card.

Justice A Guneshwar Sharma highlighted the Act’s provisions giving transgender persons the right to self-perceived gender identity and revised certificates after gender reassignment surgery.

The court directed that Sections 6 and 7 of the Act be incorporated into all existing laws and rules within Manipur, with the Chief Secretary responsible for implementation.

[Dr. Beoncy Laishram v/s The State of Manipur and Others]

President Droupadi Murmu has appointed Justice Kempaiah Somashekar, Judge of the Karnataka High Court, as Chief Justice of the Manipur High Court under Article 217(1) of the Constitution.

The appointment comes a day before the current Chief Justice D. Krishnakumar retires on May 21 upon attaining the age of 62. The Supreme Court Collegium, led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, recommended Justice Somashekar’s elevation during its meeting held on May 15.

Justice Somashekar brings over a decade of judicial experience and is expected to assume office soon, as per the official notification issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice.

The Supreme Court has ruled that a Muslim member of a State Bar Council cannot continue as a member of a State Waqf Board after he ceased to be a member of the Bar Council, as per Section 14 of the Waqf Board Act. 

The Court clarified that Explanation II of the section applies equally to Bar Council members and cannot override the main provision. 

The court also added that an ex-member can be appointed only if no Muslim Senior advocate or Bar Council member is available.

Overturning the Manipur High Court's decision, the court declared that the Bombay High Court's ruling in Shri Asif was not good law. (Md. Firoz Ahmad Khalid v. The State of Manipur & Ors.)

President's Rule was imposed in Manipur on 9 February after CM N. Biren Singh resigned, following 21 months of ethnic violence that claimed over 250 lives and displaced thousands.

The Ministry of Home Affairs stated that governance in the state was untenable, invoking Article 356 of the Constitution.

Singh's resignation came a day before the state budget session and after the Supreme Court ordered a forensic report on leaked tapes allegedly implicating him.

BJP lawmakers have yet to agree on a successor. The Meitei-Kuki conflict remains unresolved, with the Opposition blaming the BJP for delayed action to avoid political fallout.