Center notifies appointment of Karnataka HC Chief Justice as SC judge

Acting immediately on the recommendation made by the Supreme Court Collegium, the Center on Wednesday appointed Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Prasanna B. Issued notification appointing Varale as judge of the apex court.

“In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (2) of Article 124 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint Shri Justice Prasar Bhalchandra Varale, Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court, to be Judge of the Supreme Court. India, with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office,” said the notification issued by the Union Ministry of Law and Justice.

The name was cleared by the Center within a period of 5 days after the Supreme Court Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, recommended Chief Justice Varale’s name for elevation as a top court judge on January 19. .

The collegium had decided to fill the sole vacancy by recommending his name after Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul retired on December 25.

After the swearing-in of Justice Varale, the Supreme Court will continue to function with its full strength of 34 judges.

Justice Varale was appointed as a judge of the Bombay High Court in July 2008 and was elevated as the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court on October 15, 2022. Before being elevated to the bench, he had practiced at the Civil Bar for over 23 years. , Criminal, labor and administrative law cases are heard in the District and Sessions Court and constitutional cases in the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court.

“While recommending his name, the Collegium has taken into account the fact that among the High Court judges, he is the senior-most judge belonging to the Scheduled Caste and the only Chief Justice belonging to the Scheduled Caste among the Chief Justices of the High Courts. across the country,” the SC Collegium had said in a release.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – IANS)