SC agrees to hear plea challenging appointment of lawyer as Madras HC judge

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a plea challenging the appointment of lawyer L Victoria Gowri as a judge of the Madras High Court.

A bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, and Justices PS Narasimha and JB Pardiwala took note of the submissions of senior advocate Raju Ramachandran that the plea needed urgent hearing.

He pleaded it was an urgent petition by senior lawyers of Madras. ”They are praying for interim relief. I would request you to take it at the earliest,” the senior lawyer said.

The bench, which initially agreed to list the plea for hearing on February 13, later said it will hear it on February 10.

The proposal to elevate the woman lawyer, who was representing the Centre before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, later reportedly became controversial after reports emerged about her alleged affiliation to the BJP.

Some statements of the lawyer, who was proposed for the judgeship, about Muslims and Christians have purportedly surfaced in the public domain.