SC Collegium recommends appointment of permanent judge in Karnataka HC

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, on Tuesday recommended the appointment of Justice Siddaiah Rachaiah, an additional judge of the Karnataka High Court as permanent judge.

In August this year, the Collegium of the Karnataka High Court unanimously forwarded its recommendation for appointing Justice Rachaiah as a permanent judge.

The SC Collegium said that it consulted judges of the apex court, who are conversant with the affairs of the Karnataka High Court, in terms of the Memorandum of Procedure.

"A Committee of two Judges of the Supreme Court constituted by the Chief Justice of India in terms of the Resolution dated 26 October 2017 of the Supreme Court Collegium has assessed the judgments of Mr Justice Siddaiah Rachaiah," it said.

The SC Collegium stated that it has scrutinised and evaluated the material placed on record, including the opinion of the sole consultee-judge and the reports of the Judgment Assessment Committee, to assess the merit and suitability of Justice Rachaiah for appointment as permanent judge in the Karnataka High Court.

Bearing in mind all aspects, the Collegium resolved that Justice Rachaiah be appointed as a permanent judge in the Karnataka High Court against the existing vacancy.

"As the views of the Chief Minister and the Governor of the State of Karnataka have not been received, the Department of Justice has forwarded the above recommendation by invoking para 14 of the Memorandum of Procedure which provides that if the comments of the state constitutional authorities are not received within the prescribed time-frame, it should be presumed by the Minister of Law and Justice that the Governor and the Chief Minister have nothing to add to the proposal and proceed accordingly," said a statement uploaded on the website of the apex court.