Collegium recommends elevation of Patna High Court Chief Justice K Vinod Chandran as SC judge

The Supreme Court Collegium led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna on Tuesday unanimously recommended the elevation of Patna High Court Chief Justice K Vinod Chandran as a judge of the Supreme Court.

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Currently the Supreme Court is functioning with 32 judges against its full sanctioned strength of 34 judges, including the CJI.

“Mr Justice Chandran stands at Sl. No. 13 in the combined all-India seniority of High Court Judges. In the seniority of Judges hailing from the High Court of Kerala, Mr. Justice K. Vinod Chandran stands at Sl. No. 1. While recommending his name, the Collegium has taken into consideration the fact that there is no representation on the Bench of the Supreme Court from the High Court of Kerala,” a Collegium resolution read.

The other four members of the Collegium are Justice BR Gavai, Justice Surya Kant, Justice Hrishikesh Roy and Justice AS Oka.

Justice Vinod Chandran was appointed a judge of the Kerala High Court on November 8, 2011 and was elevated as the Chief Justice of the Patna High Court on March 23, 2023. He has been functioning as the Chief Justice of that High Court since then.

"He (Justice Chandran) has served as a Judge of the High Court for more than 11 years and as a Chief Justice of a big High Court for more than a year. During his long tenure as a Judge and Chief Justice of the High Court, Justice Chandran has acquired significant experience in diverse fields of law," the Collegium said in its resolution recommending him for appointment as a top court judge.

The Collegium also recommended the transfer of Bombay High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya to the Delhi High Court and Telangana High Court Chief Justice Alok Aradhe to the Bombay High Court.