New Delhi, 16 January 2025: Justice K Vinod Chandran was sworn in as a judge of the Supreme Court on Thursday, increasing its current strength to 33 judges against the sanctioned limit of 34, including the Chief Justice of India (CJI).
Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna administered the oath of office to Justice Chandran during a brief ceremony at 10:30 a.m. at the Supreme Court.
Justice Chandran’s elevation follows his tenure as Chief Justice of the Patna High Court, a position he assumed on March 23, 2023. The Centre formally notified his appointment on January 13, based on a unanimous recommendation by the Supreme Court Collegium earlier this month.
The Collegium, comprising CJI Khanna and Justices BR Gavai, Surya Kant, Hrishikesh Roy, and AS Oka, recommended Justice Chandran’s elevation on January 7. In its resolution, the Collegium stated, “Mr. Justice Chandran stands at Sl. No. 13 in the combined all-India seniority of High Court Judges and is ranked first among judges from the Kerala High Court. His appointment also addresses the absence of representation from the Kerala High Court on the Supreme Court bench.”
Justice Chandran, who was appointed as a Kerala High Court judge on November 8, 2011, has served in various capacities for over 11 years, including as Chief Justice of a major High Court. The Collegium described him as an experienced jurist with extensive expertise in diverse areas of law.
With Justice Chandran’s appointment, the Supreme Court now has one vacancy remaining in its sanctioned judicial strength.
