NEW DELHI: The Centre, in a notification issued on Monday, appointed Patna High Court Chief Justice K Vinod Chandran as a Supreme Court judge. With this elevation, the Supreme Court's capacity rises to 33, including the Chief Justice of India (CJI), out of a sanctioned strength of 34 judges.
Union Minister of State for Law and Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Arjun Ram Meghwal, took to the X (formerly Twitter) to announce the decision. “In exercise of the powers conferred by the Constitution of India, the President, after consultation with the Chief Justice of India, is pleased to appoint Justice Krishnan Vinod Chandran, Chief Justice, Patna High Court, as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India," he wrote.
It is noteworthy that the Supreme Court Collegium, led by CJI Sanjiv Khanna, recommended Justice Chandran’s elevation in a meeting held on January 7.
The Collegium deliberated on the names of Chief Justices and senior judges of High Courts, including Justice Chandran, who were eligible for appointment to the Supreme Court.
Justice Chandran was appointed a Judge of the High Court of Kerala on November 8, 2011, and was elevated to the position of Chief Justice of the High Court of Judicature at Patna on March 29, 2023.
He has been functioning as the Chief Justice of the Patna High Court since then, according to a statement from the Supreme Court Collegium.
With more than 11 years of experience as a Judge and over a year as Chief Justice of a prominent High Court, Justice Chandran has gained significant experience in diverse areas of law.
He ranks at serial number 13 in the combined all-India seniority of High Court judges and holds the top spot in the seniority list of judges from the High Court of Kerala.
In recommending his name, the Collegium took into account the fact that there was no representation from the High Court of Kerala on the Bench of the Supreme Court. Therefore, the Collegium unanimously recommended Justice Chandran for appointment as a Supreme Court Judge.
In a separate notification, the President, exercising the power conferred by Article 223 of the Constitution of India, appointed Justice Ashutosh Kumar, a Judge of the Patna High Court, to perform the duties of the Chief Justice of that High Court from the date Justice Chandran relinquishes his charge, consequent upon his elevation as a Supreme Court Judge.