Helen Dawngliani set to become second Mizo woman to serve as High Court judge

The Centre has cleared the appointment of Mizoram Judicial Service officer Helen Dawngliani as an additional judge of the Gauhati High Court, paving the way for her to become the second Mizo woman to serve as a High Court judge, officials said.

The Union government notified her appointment on Tuesday, September 8, they said.

The Supreme Court Collegium had on August 18 recommended Ms. Dawngliani, along with Nagaland-based advocate Nchumbemo Mozhui, for appointment as High Court judges. The Centre subsequently accepted the recommendation and issued the formal appointment notification.

Ms. Dawngliani will succeed Justice Marli Vankung as the second Mizo woman to serve on a High Court bench. Justice Vankung, the first Mizo woman to become a High Court judge, retired on March 3.

Her appointment is significant for Mizoram, which has had limited representation of its judicial officers in the higher judiciary.

Ms. Dawngliani joined the Mizoram Judicial Service on May 24, 2011, and has more than 15 years of judicial experience. She has served as an additional district and sessions judge in Aizawl and Lunglei.

She was also registrar of the Gauhati High Court and secretary of the Mizoram government’s Law and Judicial Department between April 2021 and July 2024. She subsequently served as government advocate-cum-additional public prosecutor at the Aizawl Bench of the Gauhati High Court.

Ms. Dawngliani’s husband, Haulianthanga, is also an advocate, and the couple resides in Aizawl.