Centre notifies appointment of five additional judges to Kerala HC

New Delhi [India], October 29 (ANI): The Centre government notified the appointment of five additional judges to the Kerala High Court on Tuesday.

The judges appointed to Kerala HC are; Paramesara Panicker Krishna Kumar, Kodassery Veliyath Madom Jayakumar, Muralee Krishna Shankaramoole, Jobin Sebastian, and Varadaraja Iyer Balakrishnan.

Notification issued by the centre stated that, “In exercise of the power conferred by clause (1) of Article 224 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint (i) Parameswara Panicker Krishna Kumar, (ii) Kodassery Veliyath Madom Jayakumar, (iii) Muralee Krishna Shankaramoole, (iv) Jobin Sebastian and (v) Pandikkaran Varadaraja lyer Balakrishnan, to be Additional Judges of the Kerala High Court, in that order of seniority, for a period of two years with effect from the date they assume charge of their respective offices.

The Collegium noted that it had recommended P. Krishna Kumar for elevation to the Kerala High Court in October 2023. The other four judicial officers previously recommended–Justice M.B. Snehalatha, Justice Johnson John, Justice G. Girish, and Justice C. Pratheekkumar–have since been appointed as judges. In October 2024, the Collegium again recommended P. Krishna Kumar, stating that the seniority of the newly appointed judges would be below his.

The Supreme Court Collegium has recently recommended several judicial officers for appointment as Judges of the Kerala High Court.

On May 30, 2024, the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court made this recommendation in consultation with his two senior-most colleagues. Both the Chief Minister and the Governor of Kerala have agreed to this recommendation, stated SC resolution.