Justice K Vinod Chandran sworn in as Supreme Court judge

Justice K. Vinod Chandran was sworn in as a Supreme Court judge, filling a Kerala vacancy, after serving as chief justice of Patna High Court.

New Delhi: Justice K. Vinod Chandran was sworn in as a judge of the Supreme Court on Thursday morning. The oath of office was administered by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna.

Justice Chandran, 61, began his legal career after earning his law degree in Kerala and started practising law in 1991 (PTI)

Formerly the chief justice of the Patna High Court, Justice Chandran fills one of the two existing vacancies in the Supreme Court, ensuring Kerala’s continued representation on the bench following the retirement of Justice C.T. Ravikumar earlier this month.

The union government had notified Justice Chandran’s appointment on January 13, following the recommendation of the Supreme Court collegium, led by CJI Khanna, on January 7. The collegium, which included Justices Bhushan R. Gavai, Surya Kant, Hrishikesh Roy, and Abhay S. Oka, highlighted the importance of addressing the vacancies, especially given the lack of representation from Kerala in the Supreme Court after Justice Ravikumar’s retirement on January 5.

“In exercise of the powers conferred by the Constitution of India, the President, after consultation with the chief justice of India, is pleased to appoint Shri Justice Krishnan Vinod Chandran, Chief Justice, Patna High Court, as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India,” Union law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said on social media.

He was elevated as an additional judge of the Kerala high court in November 2011 and became a permanent judge in June 2013. In March 2023, he was appointed as the chief justice of the Patna High Court.

Known for his meticulous judgments and deep understanding of the law, Justice Chandran stood at serial number 13 in the combined all-India seniority of high court judges and was the senior-most judge from the Kerala high court at the time of his appointment.