The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended the names of six advocates for appointment as judges of the Kerala High Court..As per the Collegium resolution dated March 12, the lawyers are:Abdul Hakhim Mullappally Abdul AzizSyam Kumar Vadakke MudavakkatHarisankar Vijayan MenonManu Sreedharan NairEaswaran SubramaniManoj Pulamby Madhavan.The names of these advocates were recommended for elevation on December 5, 2023 by the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court, in consultation with the two-seniormost judges of the High Court. The Chief Minister and Governor of Kerala concurred with the proposal. Following this, the member-judges of the Collegium went through the material placed on record, including observations of the Department of Justice, and made their own enquiries about the suitability of the candidates..The following are the reasons for recommending the elevation of the officers, as stated in the collegium resolution:.Abdul Hakhim Mullappally Abdul AzizAll the judges consulted had a positive opinion about him and there was nothing to indicate anything adverse about his integrity. He has appeared in a number of cases, including 47 reported judgments delivered by the High Court. Moreover, his elevation would enhance the representation of minorities on the bench of the Kerala High Court, the Collegium resolution stated. .Syam Kumar Vadakke Mudavakkat Two of the judges consulted opined that he is suitable for elevation. However, one judge pointed out that his focus has been on admiralty law. However, according to the Collegium, his practice in other branches of law and specialisation in a particular jurisdiction makes him entirely suitable for elevation to the Kerala High Court, which has an admiralty jurisdiction. He has appeared in 29 reported cases of the High Court and seems to enjoy a good personal and professional image, the resolution stated. .Harisankar Vijayan MenonAll the judges had a positive opinion of him and there was nothing negative regarding his integrity in any of the material on record. He has appeared in 55 reported cases of the High Court, the resolution said. .Manu Sreedharan NairAll judges had positive opinions about him. However, the input of the government indicated that his professional competence is viewed to be average. The Collegium said that this observation is not correct as he has 50 reported judgments to his credit and has a professional income of ₹70.90 lakh. The opinion of the High Court Collegium and the consultee judges have to be given credence since they have seen his performance, the resolution said. .Easwaran SubramaniAll judges had a positive opinion about his suitability as a judge. He has appeared in 95 reported judgments. Nothing adverse came to the notice of the Collegium regarding his integrity..Manoj Pulamby Madhavan Some of the consultee judges never had a chance to evaluate his performance directly, but the overall opinion was positive. The Collegium noted that he belongs to a Scheduled Caste and has 35 reported judgments to his credit. The Collegium also rejected the input of the government that he is a CPI(M) sympathiser merely because he was appointed as a government pleader by the Left Democratic Front government in 2010 and 2016-2021. It said that his experience would make his well versed with cases in which the State is a party. Pertinently, the Collegium said that a past political background does not disqualify a candidate from judgeship. "For example, in the recent past, an Advocate has been appointed as a Judge of the High Court though she was an office bearer of a political party prior to her elevation," the resolution stated. .As on March 12, the Kerala High Court is functioning with 36 judges as against a sanctioned strength of 47..[Read Resolution]
The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended the names of six advocates for appointment as judges of the Kerala High Court..As per the Collegium resolution dated March 12, the lawyers are:Abdul Hakhim Mullappally Abdul AzizSyam Kumar Vadakke MudavakkatHarisankar Vijayan MenonManu Sreedharan NairEaswaran SubramaniManoj Pulamby Madhavan.The names of these advocates were recommended for elevation on December 5, 2023 by the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court, in consultation with the two-seniormost judges of the High Court. The Chief Minister and Governor of Kerala concurred with the proposal. Following this, the member-judges of the Collegium went through the material placed on record, including observations of the Department of Justice, and made their own enquiries about the suitability of the candidates..The following are the reasons for recommending the elevation of the officers, as stated in the collegium resolution:.Abdul Hakhim Mullappally Abdul AzizAll the judges consulted had a positive opinion about him and there was nothing to indicate anything adverse about his integrity. He has appeared in a number of cases, including 47 reported judgments delivered by the High Court. Moreover, his elevation would enhance the representation of minorities on the bench of the Kerala High Court, the Collegium resolution stated. .Syam Kumar Vadakke Mudavakkat Two of the judges consulted opined that he is suitable for elevation. However, one judge pointed out that his focus has been on admiralty law. However, according to the Collegium, his practice in other branches of law and specialisation in a particular jurisdiction makes him entirely suitable for elevation to the Kerala High Court, which has an admiralty jurisdiction. He has appeared in 29 reported cases of the High Court and seems to enjoy a good personal and professional image, the resolution stated. .Harisankar Vijayan MenonAll the judges had a positive opinion of him and there was nothing negative regarding his integrity in any of the material on record. He has appeared in 55 reported cases of the High Court, the resolution said. .Manu Sreedharan NairAll judges had positive opinions about him. However, the input of the government indicated that his professional competence is viewed to be average. The Collegium said that this observation is not correct as he has 50 reported judgments to his credit and has a professional income of ₹70.90 lakh. The opinion of the High Court Collegium and the consultee judges have to be given credence since they have seen his performance, the resolution said. .Easwaran SubramaniAll judges had a positive opinion about his suitability as a judge. He has appeared in 95 reported judgments. Nothing adverse came to the notice of the Collegium regarding his integrity..Manoj Pulamby Madhavan Some of the consultee judges never had a chance to evaluate his performance directly, but the overall opinion was positive. The Collegium noted that he belongs to a Scheduled Caste and has 35 reported judgments to his credit. The Collegium also rejected the input of the government that he is a CPI(M) sympathiser merely because he was appointed as a government pleader by the Left Democratic Front government in 2010 and 2016-2021. It said that his experience would make his well versed with cases in which the State is a party. Pertinently, the Collegium said that a past political background does not disqualify a candidate from judgeship. "For example, in the recent past, an Advocate has been appointed as a Judge of the High Court though she was an office bearer of a political party prior to her elevation," the resolution stated. .As on March 12, the Kerala High Court is functioning with 36 judges as against a sanctioned strength of 47..[Read Resolution]
