The recent sudden and abrupt transfer of Justice Sanjib Banerjee, Chief Justice of the Madras High Court as Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court by the Supreme Court collegium, sent shock waves amid the legal fraternity here and drew loud protests from lawyers and Bar Associations. In barely ten months of being appointed as Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, Justice Sanjib Banerjee was recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium to be transferred to the Meghalaya High Court, triggering a huge judicial furore, amid another spell of Chennai floods. Coming as a bolt from the blue was the erudite Judge's transfer made known last Tuesday night (November 9), more than seven weeks after the Collegium had reportedly made the recommendation on September 16, prompting lawyers to register their protest. Justice Sanjib Banerjee, a scholarly and highly experienced Judge of the Calcutta High Court was appointed Chief Justice of the Madras High Court on January 4, 2021. He is due to retire from service on November 1, 2023. Details available on the Madras High Court website say that Justice Banerjee was born on November 2, 1961. He Studied in St. Xavier’s Collegiate School, Calcutta and St. Paul’s School, Darjeeling. Passed B.Sc. with Honours in Economics in the year 1983 and LL.B. in the year 1986-87 – both from the University of Calcutta. He was enrolled as Advocate on November 21, 1990. He practised principally in the High Court at Calcutta as well as in the Supreme Court of India, other High Courts and Tribunals, primarily in Civil, Company, Arbitration and Constitutional Law branches. Justice Sanjib Banerjee has specialised in Corporate and Intellectual Property Laws matters and was elevated to the Bench of the High Court at Calcutta as a permanent Judge on June 22, 2006. He has delivered judgments in matters encompassing almost all branches including important public interest litigations. In an extraordinary development, about 237 advocates practicing in the Madras High Court, have strongly come out in the open, penning a signed memorandum protesting the move. It was addressed to the members of the Supreme Court Collegium, which includes Chief Justice of India, Justice N.V. Ramana, and Justices U.U. Lalit, A.M. Khanwilkar, D.Y. Chandrachud, and L. Nageswara Rao. Transferring Justice Sanjib Banerjee from a Chartered High Court with a sanctioned strength of 75 Judges to a relatively younger High Court of Meghalaya, set up only in 2013 and with a current strength of two judges, is “raising disconcerting questions,” the lawyers’ memorandum said, urging the Apex Court Collegium to reconsider its decision....