Breaking: Centre Appoints Victoria Gowri & 12 Others As Additional Judges In 3 HCs, Before Pleas Challenging Her Proposed Elevation Is Mentioned Before SC
The Ministry of Law and Justice has notified the appointment of 13 Additional Judges in Allahabad, Karnataka and the Madras High Court. The Union Law and Justice Minister tweeted the names of the individuals. However, at the time of the publication of this report, not all notifications have been uploaded on the website of the Ministry.
The notification had come before two pleas were mentioned before the Court of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud stating that the recommendation to appoint a judge is under challenge. The pleas were mentioned by Senior Advocates Raju Ramachandran and Anand Grover. When the CJI agreed to hear the pleas on Monday, it was told by Raju Ramachandran that the appointment may be notified before that. Accordingly, the Court agreed to list the matters on Friday.
However, the centre had already appointed Advocate Lekshmana Chandra Victoria Gowri by then, as is seen from the tweet of the Law Minister.
As per relevant provisions under the Constitution of India, the following Advocates and Judicial Officers are appointed as Additional Judges of Allahabad High Court, Karnataka High Court and Madras High Court.
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) February 6, 2023
I extend my best wishes to all of them. pic.twitter.com/IUNSiilA9D
The Supreme Court Collegium had recommended Advocate L Victoria Gowri, to be appointed as a judge in the Madras High Court on 17 January, along with four others.
The details of the appointment are as follows-
• Advocate Syed Qamar Hasan Rizvi appointed as Additional Judge of Allahabad High Court
• Advocate Manish Kumar Nigam appointed as Additional Judge of Allahabad High Court
• Advocate Anish Kumar Gupta appointed as Additional Judge of Allahabad High Court
• Advocate Nand Prabha Shukla appointed as Additional Judge of Allahabad High Court
• Advocate Kshitij Shailendra appointed as Additional Judge of Allahabad High Court
• Advocate Vinod Diwakar appointed as Additional Judge of Allahabad High Court
• Advocate Vijaykumar Adagouda Patil appointed as Additional Judge of Karnataka High Court
• Advocate Rajesh Rai Kallangala appointed as Additional Judge of Karnataka High Court
• Advocate Lekshmana Chandra Victoria Gowri appointed as Additional Judge of Madras High Court
• Advocate Pillaipakkam Bahukutumbi Balaji appointed as Additional Judge of Madras High Court
• Advocate Kandhasami Kulandaivelu Ramakrishnan appointed as Additional Judge of Madras High Court
• Judicial Officer Ramachandran Kalaimathi appointed as Additional Judge of Madras High Court
• Judicial Officer K. Govindarajan Thilakavadi appointed as Additional Judge of Madras High Court
Earlier, a group of lawyers had made a representation to the President of India and the Supreme Court Collegium opposing the recommendation to elevate Advocate Victoria Gowri stating that she was the “National General Secretary of BJP Mahila Morcha”.
Thereafter, around 100 lawyers of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court had urged the Judges of the Supreme Court Collegium to reject opposition to the recommendation of Advocate L. Victoria Gowri as a Judge of the Madras High Court.
They had pointed out in their representation that many lawyers have been appointed as judges of the Madras High Court in past, though they were office bearers of leading political parties of Tamil Nadu.