The Supreme Court Collegium headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Tuesday recommended to the Centre the names of Andhra Pradesh Chief Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and senior advocate KV Viswanathan as Judges of the apex court.
The collegium said it zeroed in on Justice Mishra after carefully evaluating the merit, integrity, and competence of eligible Chief Justices and senior puisne Judges of the High Courts and also accommodating a plurality of considerations.
Justice Mishra’s parent High Court is Chhattisgarh. The collegium noted that there is no representation of the State among the current Supreme Court judges.
Justice Mishra is ranked 21 in the All-India High Court judges list. The collegium said that though Allahabad Chief Justice Pritinker Diwaker also comes from Chhattisgarh high Court and is senior to Justice Mishra, it found the latter “worthy” of appointment to the apex court. Justice Mishra was appointed as a judge of the Chhattisgarh High Court on December 10, 2009. He was appointed as the Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court on October 13, 2021
KV Vishwanathan would be in line to be the 58th Chief Justice of India in August 2030, succeeding Justice JB Pardiwala as top judge, if his name is cleared by the government. He would also be only the ninth lawyer to be elevated directly to the Supreme Court Bench.
“On the retirement of Justice Jamshed Burjor Pardiwala on August 11, 2030, Shri Viswanathan would be in line to assume office as the Chief Justice of India till his retirement on May 25, 2031,” the collegium resolution stated.
He has been the apex court’s amicus curiae in numerous cases.
