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{{short description|Judge of Delhi High Court}}
{{Orphan|date=April 2026}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Rekha Palli
| office = [[Judge]] of [[Delhi High Court]]
| term_start = 15 May 2017
| term_end = 8 March 2025
| nominator = [[J. S. Khehar]]
| appointer = [[Pranab Mukherjee]]
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1963|3|9|df=y}}
| honorific_prefix = Hon'ble Ms. Justice (Retd.)
| alma_mater = [[Hindu College, Delhi]]<br>[[University of Delhi]]
}}

'''Rekha Palli''' (born 9 March 1963) is a former judge of the Delhi High Court in India.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=CJ and Sitting Judges: Judge Rekha Palli|url=http://delhihighcourt.nic.in/cjsittingjudges.asp?currentPage=3|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=Delhi High Court}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Hon'ble Ms. Justice Rekha Palli|url=http://judicialacademy.nic.in/hi/organisation/hon%E2%80%99ble-ms-justice-rekha-palli|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=Delhi Judicial Academy}}</ref> She has been the judge in a number of politically significant cases, including those relating to the disqualification of [[Aam Aadmi Party]] [[Member of the Legislative Assembly (India)|MLAs]], the qualifications for enrolment in the [[Central Industrial Security Force]], and the disappearance of Delhi University student [[Disappearance of Najeeb Ahmed|Najeeb Ahmad]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|title=HC upholds termination of services of 16 CISF personnel suffering from colour blindness|work=The Economic Times|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/hc-upholds-termination-of-services-of-16-cisf-personnel-suffering-from-colour-blindness/articleshow/66281464.cms|access-date=2020-10-18}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite news|title=HC takes note of AAP MLAs plea, seeks EC's stand|work=The Economic Times|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/hc-takes-note-of-aap-mlas-plea-seeks-ecs-stand/articleshow/62571751.cms|access-date=2020-10-18}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web|date=2017-05-16|title=HC hands over JNU's Najeeb's disappearance mystery to CBI|url=https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-hc-hands-over-jnu-s-najeeb-s-disappearance-mystery-to-cbi-2440439|access-date=2020-10-18|website=DNA India}}</ref> As a counsel, Palli also represented Indian Air Force officers in a significant case that resulted in ending of a discriminatory practice that denied the grant of permanent commissions to female officers.<ref name=":5">{{Cite news|last=Kaur|first=Jasmine|date=2020-09-03|title=Victory in a long battle for equal opportunities|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/victory-in-a-long-battle-for-equal-opportunities/article32508226.ece|access-date=2020-10-18|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

== Life ==
Palli was educated at the [[Lady Irwin School]] in [[New Delhi]], and studied science at [[Hindu College, Delhi|Hindu College]] before obtaining a degree in law in 1986, from the [[Faculty of Law, University of Delhi|Faculty of Law]] at [[University of Delhi|Delhi University]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

== Career ==

=== Litigation ===
Palli practiced law in Delhi, as well as at the [[Punjab and Haryana High Court]], and the [[Supreme Court of India]], after enrolling at the bar in 1986. In 2015, she was designated as a [[senior counsel]] by the Delhi High Court.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

In 2010, Palli represented nine women officers of the Indian Air Force, in a case by which they challenged the force's practice of denying permanent commissions to women officers. The case was filed after a Supreme Court order directed the Indian Army to grant permanent commissions to women officers in the same manner that such commissions were granted to male officers. The Delhi High Court ruled in favor of granting permanent commissions to qualified women officers, following which the Indian Air Force commenced granting short service commissions to them.<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=19 February 2020 |title=SC to hear plea on permanent commission for women officers in Indian Air Force|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/sc-hear-plea-permanent-commission-women-officers-indian-air-force-iaf-1647773-2020-02-19|access-date=2020-10-18|magazine=India Today}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2010-09-10|title=HC issues contempt notice to Defence Secretary|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi/hc-issues-contempt-notice-to-defence-secretary/story-K0JadSMRE58BlpsDwVU4KP.html|access-date=2020-10-18|website=Hindustan Times}}</ref><ref name=":5" />

=== Judicial career ===
Justice Rekha Palli was appointed a judge to the Delhi High Court on 15 May 2017.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news|title=Delhi High Court to get four more judges|work=The Economic Times|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/delhi-high-court-to-get-four-more-judges/articleshow/58633365.cms|access-date=2020-10-18}}</ref>

In 2017, Palli ordered a case concerning the disappearance and suspected murder of [[University of Delhi|Delhi University]] student [[Disappearance of Najeeb Ahmed|Najeeb Ahmad]], after an alleged altercation with members of the [[Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad]], to be transferred to the [[Central Bureau of Investigation]].<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=CBI To Probe Missing JNU Student Najeeb Ahmad Case: Delhi High Court|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/cbi-to-probe-missing-jnu-student-najeeb-ahmad-case-delhi-high-court-orders-1694148|access-date=2020-10-18|website=NDTV.com}}</ref> The case gained significant public attention following protests from Delhi University students about the lack of results while the case was being investigated by the Delhi Police.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-05-16|title=JNU students welcome HC order on Najeeb, but still wary|url=https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-jnu-students-welcome-hc-order-on-najeeb-but-still-wary-2440153|access-date=2020-10-18|website=DNA India}}</ref>

In 2018, Palli heard a politically significant case concerning the disqualification of twenty-three members of the [[Delhi Legislative Assembly]], belonging to the [[Aam Aadmi Party]]. The case gained a great deal of public attention, before Palli allowed it to be withdrawn with the consent of the parties involved.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Aam Aadmi Party: Office of profit: AAP MLAs withdraw earlier plea against EC|work=The Economic Times|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/office-of-profit-aap-mlas-withdraw-earlier-plea-against-ec/articleshow/63053248.cms|access-date=2020-10-18}}</ref><ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-02-24|title=Office of profit row: 20 AAP MLAs withdraw plea from Delhi HC against Election Commission |url=https://www.firstpost.com/india/office-of-profit-row-20-aap-mlas-withdraw-plea-from-delhi-hc-against-election-commission-4364919.html|access-date=2020-10-18|website=Firstpost}}</ref> In 2018, Palli and another judge, [[Hima Kohli]], held that it was legal for the Union Government to terminate the employment of members of the [[Central Industrial Security Force]] who tested as color-blind.<ref name=":2" />

As on year 2024, Justice Palli is also serving as Chairperson of Juvenile Justice Committee of Delhi High Court, where she monitors implementation of Juvenile Justice Act in National Capital Territory of Delhi.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Palli, Rekha}}
[[Category:1963 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Judges of the Delhi High Court]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian lawyers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian women lawyers]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian judges]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian women judges]]
[[Category:Faculty of Law, University of Delhi alumni]]

Rekha Palli - Revision history

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