Centre notifies appointment of three judges in Karnataka High Court

New Delhi, Sep 12 (IANS) The Centre on Tuesday issued notifications regarding appointment of three judges in the Karnataka High Court within a period of two weeks after recommendations were made by the CJI D.Y. Chandrachud-led Supreme Court collegium on August 31.

The President appointed Justices Anant Ramanath Hegde and Kannankuzhyil Sreedharan Hemalekha as permanent Judges from the date they would assume charge of their respective offices and Justice Siddaiah Rachaiah as an Additional Judge for a fresh term of one year till November 8, 2024.

“In exercise of the power conferred by clause (1) of Article 217 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint (i) Shri Justice Anant Ramanath Hegde, and (ii) Justice Karmankuzhyil Sreedharan Hemalekha, Additional Judges of the Karnataka High Court, to be Judges of the Karnataka High Court with effect from the date they assume charge of their respective offices,” said the notification issued by Union Ministry of Law and Justice on Tuesday.

Another notification said: “In exercise of the power conferred by clause (1) of Article 224 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint Shri Justice Siddaiah Rachaiah, Additional Judge of the Karnataka High Court, to be an Additional Judge of the Karnataka High Court, for a period of one year w.e.f. 08.11.2023.”

The Supreme Court Collegium had recommended the appointment of two Additional Judges as the Permanent Judges of the Karnataka High Court. It had also recommended appointment of Justice Rachaiah as an Additional Judge for a fresh term of one year, instead of being appointed as a Permanent Judge.

The Collegium of the Karnataka High Court unanimously recommended the three Additional Judges for appointment as permanent judges of the High Court on May 30.

The SC Collegium said that it had consulted other Judges of the Supreme Court who are conversant with the affairs of the Karnataka High Court in terms of the Memorandum of Procedure.

“The Committee of two judges of the Supreme Court constituted by the Chief Justice of India in terms of the Resolution dated 26 October 2017 of the Supreme Court Collegium has assessed the judgments of the above Additional Judges,” noted the SC Collegium. It said that it has scrutinised the material placed on record to assess the merit and suitability of these Additional Judges for appointment as permanent judges of the Karnataka High Court.

Having considered all aspects of the matter and on an overall consideration, the Collegium resolved to recommend appointment of Justices Hegde and Hemalekha, Additional Judges as Permanent Judges of the Karnataka High Court against the existing vacancies, and Justice Rachaiah, instead of being appointed as permanent judge, may be appointed as an Additional Judge for a fresh term of one year.