The Central Government has notified the appointment of Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka as the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court.

Justice Oka is presently a Judge at the Bombay High Court.

Justice Oka would assume the office of the Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court from the date he assumes charge.

“In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (1) of Article 217 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint Shri Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka, Judge of the Bombay High Court, to be the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office.”, the Notification dated April 30 reads.

The Supreme Court Collegium had recommended that Justice Oka be appointed as the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court in its Resolution dated April 8.

Following his enrolment in 1983, Justice Oka started his practice in the Thane District Court. He has practiced in the chambers of his father, Shreeniwas W Oka, and thereafter under VP Tipnis, a former Judge of the Bombay High Court and former Lokayukta. He was elevated as an additional judge of the Bombay High Court in August 2003. He was made a permanent judge in November 2005. 

In January this year, erstwhile Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court Dinesh Maheshwari was appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court. Since then, the Court has been functioning under the next senior-most judge, Acting Chief Justice Lingappa Narayana Swamy.

Read the notification: