BREAKING| Supreme Court Agrees To Hear Plea Challenging Appointment Of Victoria Gowri As Madras HC Judge

Update at 2:30 PM, February 6 - Collegium Has Taken Cognisance Of Complaints About Victoria Gowri, Says CJI; Agrees To Hear Plea Against Her Appointment Tomorrow

A writ petition has been filed in the Supreme Court against the appointment of Advocate L Victoria Gowri as a judge of the Madras High Court.  

Senior Advocate Raju Ramachandran mentioned the matter before Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud for urgent listing. "This is an urgent petition by senior lawyers of Madras concerning the impending appointment. They're praying for interim relief. I would request you to take it at the earliest", the senior lawyer said. CJI initially said 'next Monday'. But after Ramachandran requested made for an earlier day, CJI agreed to list the matter on coming Friday.

However, a short while before the petition was mentioned, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju tweeted that the Centre has appointed 13 additional judges to High Courts, including Victoria Gowri.

The proposal regarding Advocate Victoria Gowri, a Deputy Solicitor General representing Central Government at the Madurai Bench, became controversial after reports about her affiliation to BJP and also certain statements made about Muslims and Christians surfaced in the public domain. A section of the Madras High Court bar has sent a representation to the CJI urging the collegium to recall the proposal made by it on January 17 for her elevation. 

“In the context of Ms. Gowri's utterances, can any litigant belonging to Muslim or Christian community ever hope to get justice in her Court, if she becomes a Judge?” the advocates have asked. The letter also claims that the recommendation to appoint Gowri, “a person who makes no bones about her hatred towards the minority communities”, as a judge would also erode public confidence in the independence of the judiciary.

The writ petition filed by Advocates Anna Mathews, Sudha Ramalingam and D Nagasila seeks to set aside the recommendation concerning Gowri as unconstitutional for lack of effective consultation for the purposes of Article 217 of the Constitution.

The petitioners also seek to declare that Gowri is disqualified for being considered for appointment as a judge on account of her prejudices against the minorities. "a person who bears “ill-will” against sections of people based on their religion cannot render fair and impartial justice, which is a basic structure of the constitution", the petition states.

Update at 2:30 PM-Collegium Has Taken Cognisance Of Complaints About Victoria Gowri, Says CJI; Agrees To Hear Plea Against Her Appointment Tomorrow