Kerala High Court collegium differs on judges, forwards two separate lists

The collegium did not recommend names of lawyers from the Bar to be elevated as judges of the High Court.
Kerala High Court (File Photo| A Sanesh, EPS)
Kerala High Court (File Photo| A Sanesh, EPS)

KOCHI: At first, the collegium of the Kerala High Court failed to arrive at a consensus on the list of judicial officers to be elevated as HC judges. The Collegium, which met after two years, has forwarded two separate lists to the Supreme Court Collegium and the Union government as one of its members disagreed with two names recommended by the other two members.

The collegium consisted of Chief Justice S Manikumar, Justice S V Bhatti and Justice K Vinod Chandran.
In each list, the names of seven officers have been recommended. But, only five sessions judges found a place in both lists. 

The collegium met given Chief Justice S Manikumar’s retirement next month and the appointment of Vinod Chandran as the Chief Justice of the Patna High Court. Justice Vinod Chandran disagreed with two names included in the list signed by Chief Justice S Manikumar and Justice S V Bhatti.

The names of P Krishna Kumar (Registrar General, High Court), M B Snehalatha (Principal District and Sessions Judge, Kollam), Johnson John (Principal District and Sessions Judge, Kalpetta), G Girish (Principal District and Sessions Judge, Thalassery), and C Pratheep Kumar (Additional District Sessions Judge, Ernakulam) found a place in both the lists.

The other names in the list signed by Chief Justice Manikumar and Justice Bhatti include P J Vincent (Officer on Special Duty, High Court), and C Krishnakumar (Principal District and Sessions Judge, Kasaragod). The list sent by Justice Vinod Chandran has the names of K V Jayakumar (Registrar, Vigilance, High Court) and P Saithalavi (Muvattupuzha Vigilance Judge). The collegium did not recommend names of lawyers from the Bar to be elevated as judges of the High Court.

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