Kerala Advocate General Points To Executive Delay In Clearing Appointment Of Additional Judge To High Court

During the swearing in ceremony of five additional judges to the Kerala High Court on Wednesday (October 30), Advocate General K Gopala Krishna Kurup pointed out the executive delay in making the appointment of Justice Paramesara Panicker Krishna Kumar. 

Justice PP Krishna Kumar was among the five names sworn in as additional judges of the Kerala High Court on Wednesday, taking the strength of the bench to 45 against the sanctioned strength of 47. Notably, Justice Krishnakumar was initially recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium for appointment in October 2023. The Collegium again in October this year recommended the name of Justice Krishnakumar for appointment.

“One among the Lords, Justice P. Krishnakumar would have been sworn in exactly a year before on 25.10.2023 had it not been for the much criticized executive tinkering of collegium decision. Though a cliche, I may say, better late than never, for we have manifold instances of repeated reiterated recommendations of Supreme Court collegium regarding the appointments to constitutional Courts gathering dust at annals of the Union Executive for not attainable reason whatsoever," the advocate general said. 

Meanwhile President of the Kerala High Court Advocates' Association advocate Yeshwanth Shenoy, also pointed out the delay in appointment of Justice PP Krishnakumar. He said that that nothing could be more demoralising than waiting for the warrant of appointment after collegium recommendation.

“The Kerala High Court Advocates' Association had taken up with the Hon'ble Minister of Law and the association is happy that the Hon'ble Law Minister did oblige the bar. The KHCAA took up the matter not because it affected the bar but because the association perceived the inherent injustice in the act itself and it is the bar that has to stand up against any injustice and not wait until the injustice start affecting us," he said. 

Advocate Shenoy further stated that no other high court in this country with similar strength is functioning on its full strength like this Hon'ble Court. He stated that this would mean that there should be reduction of backlog of cases and it must be ensured that justice reaches people of this State faster.