Chairperson

Chairperson

Chief Justice (Retd.) Manmohan Sarin

Justice Manmohan Sarin, who has been heading the FCAT since November 2016, is retired Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court. A leading jurist with over four decades of association with India’s justice delivery system, Justice Sarin has served in various capacities as a judge of Delhi High Court, Lokayukta of NCT of Delhi (Ombudsmen). He has delivered significant judgments concerning compensation in Writ jurisdiction as Public Law remedy, Habeas Corpus Petitions, Arbitration Law, Contempt of Courts Act and on issues like recusal by judge, privilege and confidentiality of source for media. He has also delivered verdicts on Unauthorised Construction, Capital Punishment, Compounding of Offences, Judgment on Transplantation of Human Organs Act. His pronouncements have led to reform and amendments in provisions of the Rules and Act. He has also rendered judgments on the issue of Child and Run-away Marriages, generating debate and leading to the Law Commission making recommendations for amendments in the law. As a Judge of the High Court for over 13 years, Justice Sarin presided over almost every jurisdiction. He headed the Tribunal constituted under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 in respect of following organisations – ULFA, BODO, NSCN and Deendar Anjuman. He was also Chairman of the COFEPOSA Board. He was conferred outstanding contributions for establishing and setting up and running the Delhi High Court Mediation Centre, presented by the Chief

Justice of India. He was also Chairman of the Delhi High Court Legal Services Committee and Chairman of the Programme Committee, monitoring the various programmes of Delhi Judicial Academy for training of judges. He has been an active Resource Person with the National Judicial Academy, Bhopal.

After taking over as Lokayukta, Justice Sarin launched an awareness campaign regarding the institution, making it a vibrant anti-graft body. Under his chairmanship, Delhi Lokayukta probed into the wrong doings and allegations of corruption against Municipal Councillors, Legislators, Ministers including Chief Minister of Delhi and launched several initiatives in bringing about probity among public functionaries and good governance in Government. He was Chairman of the All India Committee of Lokayuktas, which drafted the Model “Pramukh Lokayukta and Upalokayukta Act.” He was rated by the Lt. Governor of NCT of Delhi as the best Lokayukta Delhi has ever had.

Prior to his elevation as a High Court Judge, he had extensive commercial practice as a lawyer in civil arbitration and construction contracts. He represented media houses in press and defamation matters. He was Senior Panel counsel for the Government of India, with extensive experience of having represented Union of India in almost all varieties of matters in Arbitration, writ jurisdiction as also covering civil original and appellate sides and complicated service matters relating to the army and para military forces, takeover of Banks, PILs etc. He was Vice President of Delhi High Court Bar Association for the years 1990 & 1991. He was the founding president of INSOL India since its inception from 27/9/1997 to 23/5/2008 which played a stellar role in rehabilitation of sick companies, corporate restructuring and evolution of ethical practices in corporate governance.

Currently, Justice Sarin is a Member of the Indian Council of Arbitration (ICA) and empanelled as an Arbitrator. He has been functioning as an Arbitrator in matters referred by private parties, ICA, High Court and Supreme Court of India as a Sole Arbitrator, Presiding arbitrator or as a member of the Tribunal.