Justice K. Vinod Chandran Joins Supreme Court Bench

Why in the news?

Justice K. Vinod Chandran was sworn in as a Supreme Court judge, raising the court’s strength to 33. His appointment addresses judicial vacancies amid rising case pendency, as emphasized by recent Collegium resolutions.

Justice K. Vinod Chandran Joins Supreme Court Bench

Appointment Details:

  • Justice K. Vinod Chandran sworn in as a Supreme Court judge on January 16, 2025, by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna.
  • Formerly the Chief Justice of Patna High Court, his appointment raised the Supreme Court’s strength to 33, one short of the full sanctioned strength.
  • The Supreme Court Collegium, led by CJI Khanna, recommended his appointment on January 7, 2025.

Professional Background:

  • Appointed as a Kerala High Court judge in November 2011.
  • Elevated to Chief Justice of Patna High Court on March 24, 2023.
  • Senior-most High Court judge from Kerala at the time of his recommendation.
  • Tenure in the Supreme Court will last until April 24, 2028.
  • Second judge appointed under the Khanna Collegium, after Justice Manmohan in December 2024.

Judicial Vacancies and Pendency

  • Nearly 83,000 pending cases in the Supreme Court emphasize the need for full judicial strength.
  • November 2023 Collegium resolution highlighted that the growing workload and pendency demand filling all judicial vacancies.
  • January 2024 resolution reiterated the urgency of maintaining full judge strength to handle the increasing workload of judges.

Sources Referred:

PIB, The Hindu, Indian Express, Hindustan Times