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.
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.