Karnataka lawyers have resolved to go on strike again if appointments to the High Court are not made within a week..Yesterday, a delegation of lawyers led by Senior Advocate BV Acharya appealed to the authorities to fill up the vacancies at the High Court..A total of six appointments are pending approval at various stages. The Supreme Court Collegium had signed off on three names – District Judge Krishna Bhat, Public Prosecutor PM Nawaz and government advocate HT Narendra Prasad..Bhat’s elevation hit a roadblock after the Centre directly contacted Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and asked him to reassess the same, in light of a complaint made against him. However, Justice Jasti Chelameswar of the Supreme Court, in a letter addressed to Chief Justice Dipak Misra, revealed that the allegations were frivolous. Chelameswar J also criticised Maheshwari J for being “ever willing to do the Executive’s bidding”..The other two recommendees seem to have been caught in the crossfire; their elevation has not gone through despite the Centre reportedly approving the same back in June 2017..President of the Advocates Association, Bangalore AP Ranganatha also revealed that six names recommended by the High Court Collegium were also pending the SC Collegium’s approval. However, three of these have since retired, leaving High Court Registrar General Ashok Nijagannavar, HP Sandesh and K Natarajan awaiting the Supreme Court Collegium’s assent..With 32 vacancies, the Karnataka High Court is functioning at less than half its sanctioned strength of 62 judges. Another three judges will retire over the course of the next five and a half months..Back in February, the city lawyers successfully organised to prompt the Central government to sign off on the appointment of five new judges to the Karnataka High Court. They had appealed to various authorities including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and other Collegium judges to fill up the burgeoning vacancies at the High Court.
Karnataka lawyers have resolved to go on strike again if appointments to the High Court are not made within a week..Yesterday, a delegation of lawyers led by Senior Advocate BV Acharya appealed to the authorities to fill up the vacancies at the High Court..A total of six appointments are pending approval at various stages. The Supreme Court Collegium had signed off on three names – District Judge Krishna Bhat, Public Prosecutor PM Nawaz and government advocate HT Narendra Prasad..Bhat’s elevation hit a roadblock after the Centre directly contacted Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and asked him to reassess the same, in light of a complaint made against him. However, Justice Jasti Chelameswar of the Supreme Court, in a letter addressed to Chief Justice Dipak Misra, revealed that the allegations were frivolous. Chelameswar J also criticised Maheshwari J for being “ever willing to do the Executive’s bidding”..The other two recommendees seem to have been caught in the crossfire; their elevation has not gone through despite the Centre reportedly approving the same back in June 2017..President of the Advocates Association, Bangalore AP Ranganatha also revealed that six names recommended by the High Court Collegium were also pending the SC Collegium’s approval. However, three of these have since retired, leaving High Court Registrar General Ashok Nijagannavar, HP Sandesh and K Natarajan awaiting the Supreme Court Collegium’s assent..With 32 vacancies, the Karnataka High Court is functioning at less than half its sanctioned strength of 62 judges. Another three judges will retire over the course of the next five and a half months..Back in February, the city lawyers successfully organised to prompt the Central government to sign off on the appointment of five new judges to the Karnataka High Court. They had appealed to various authorities including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and other Collegium judges to fill up the burgeoning vacancies at the High Court.
