SC collegium recommends appointment of 5 additional judges of Karnataka HC as permanent judges

The Supreme Court collegium headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud has recommended to the Centre the names of five additional judges of the Karnataka High Court for appointment as permanent judges of that court.

The three-member collegium also recommended that Justice Gurusiddaiah Basavaraja be appointed as an additional judge of the Karnataka High Court for a fresh term of one year with effect from August 16, 2024.

As per an April 3 resolution of the apex court collegium, which also includes Justices Sanjiv Khanna and B R Gavai, the high court collegium had on January 20 unanimously recommended that five additional judges be appointed as permanent judges and the term of additional judge Basavaraja be extended for a further period of one year.

“The Chief Minister and the Governor of the State of Karnataka have conveyed their agreement with the above recommendation,” the apex court collegium noted in the resolution uploaded on its website.

“Having considered all aspects of the matter and on an overall consideration of the above proposal, the Collegium is of the view that Justices Cheppudira Monnappa Poonacha, Anil Bheemsen Katti, Chandrashekhar Mrutyunjaya Joshi, Umesh Manjunathbhat Adiga and Talkad Girigowda Shivashankare Gowda, additional judges, are fit and suitable for being appointed as permanent judges,” it said.

The resolution said as regards Justice Basavaraja, the collegium is fully in agreement with the recommendation of the high court collegium and is of the view that he deserves to be appointed as additional judge for a fresh term of one year.

It said the resolution of the top court collegium is signed by two members as Justice Gavai is travelling.

“He has, however, verbally conveyed his agreement with the above proposal. His written consent would be placed on the record in due course. The proposal may be processed without waiting for the written consent of the third member of the Collegium since the term of one of the additional judges is going to expire on April 16, 2024,” it said.