Advocate Preeta Aravindan Krishnamma was sworn in on Monday as an additional judge of the Kerala High Court..The oath of office was administered by Chief Justice Soumen Sen.High Court judges, Advocate General K Gopalakrishna Kurup, Additional Solicitor General P Sreekumar and Kerala High Court Advocates Association (KHCAA) President Peeyus A Kottam were present at the ceremony.Addressing the gathering, AG Kurup welcomed Justice Krishnamma's elevation to the Bench by emphasising on the importance of greater representation of women in the judiciary."A more gender-diverse Bench strengthens the public confidence in the legal system and ensures that it reflects the society it serves. The inclusion of more women judges brings a wider range of perspectives that are vital for fair, balanced and empathetic decision making," AG Kurup added.ASG Sreekumar described the occasion as one of constitutional significance."The elevation of My Lord to the Bench is the natural culmination of decades of dedicated legal service marked by intellectual discipline, professional excellence, and an abiding sense of justice," he said.KHCAA President Kottam also highlighted the significance of a practicing advocate of the Bar being elevated to the Bench and described Justice Krishnamma as 'one among us' whose journey reflected the strength of the Bar.Reflecting on her journey, Justice Krishnamma thanked the Almighty, while acknowledging the role of her parents, mentors, colleagues and clients in shaping her legal career.She stated that her long association with the Kerala High Court had defined her professional life and added that she was conscious of the responsibility that came with the judicial office."I am also aware of the expectation that the legal fraternity, as well as the society at large, plays on a judge of a constitutional court, and I can only assure that I'm fully committed to discharging my duties diligently and consciously, to the best of my ability," Justice Krishnamma added..Justice Krishnamma's appointment as a High Court judge was notified by the Central government on April 24 following a recommendation by the Supreme Court Collegium earlier this month..Justice Krishnamma was born on March 11, 1974 in Kollam district to late advocate PR Aravindan Nair and S Krishnamma. She completed her schooling at St Pius X English Medium School, Kuttikanam and pursed pre-degree studies at NSS Hindu College, Changanassery.She obtained her 5 year LLB degree from Kerala Law Academy in 1996 and enrolled as an advocate in 1997.She started her practice as a junior associate under retired Justice M Ramachandran before his elevation and was later guided by advocates P Ramakrishnan and Preethi Ramakrishnan.She began her independent practice in 2005, where she specialised in labour, constitutional and service law, appearing for major institutions and public sector undertakings.The Kerala High Court, which has a sanctioned strength of 47 judges, has been functioning with 38 judges. With Justice Krishnamma's taking charge as an additional judge, the vacancies have now reduced to 8.
