Patna: The central government has appointed senior advocate Anshul Raj as a judge of the Patna High Court, issuing a formal notification under Article 217(1) of the Constitution.
The notification, released by the Ministry of Law and Justice on January 23, states that the appointment will take effect from the date Justice-designate Anshul Raj assumes office. His name had been recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium on February 20, 2025.
Anshul Raj is a well-known practitioner at the Patna High Court and the son of senior advocate Yogesh Chandra Verma. He completed his higher education at Patna University in 1990 and obtained his law degree from Magadh University in 2000. He was enrolled with the Bihar State Bar Council on June 26, 2003, and has been in active legal practice for more than two decades.
His professional work has largely focused on criminal and constitutional law. Between 2004 and 2009, he practised before the Supreme Court of India, and later served as a panel advocate for Indian Railways. In 2014, he was appointed standing counsel for the Government of Bihar.
Legal circles expect his swearing-in ceremony to take place next Tuesday. With his induction, the sanctioned strength of judges at the Patna High Court will rise to 38, easing pressure on the court amid a heavy backlog of cases.
