The Centre on Thursday issued a notification appointing advocate N. Unni Krishnan Nair as an additional judge of the Gauhati High Court, pursuant to a recommendation made by the Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud-led Supreme Court Collegium.
“In exercise of the power conferred by clause (1) of Article 224 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint Ski N. Unni Krishnan Nair, to be an Additional Judge of the Gauhati High Court, for a period of two years with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office,” said a notification issued by the Union Ministry of Law and Justice.
The Supreme Court Collegium had recommended Nair, along with advocate Kaushik Goswami, for appointment after the Collegium of the Gauhati High Court had unanimously forwarded its recommendation on May 29 this year.
Last week, the President had only appointed advocate Goswami to be an additional judge of the Gauhati High Court for a period of two years.
On Monday, the Supreme Court had asked the Centre to stop the selective ‘pick and choose’ approach in appointments to the higher judiciary and warned the Attorney General that it might pass orders on the judicial side which may not be “palatable” if this problem is not taken care of by the Union government.
The SC Collegium on October 18 said that it has consulted “colleagues conversant with the affairs of the Gauhati High Court to ascertain the fitness and suitability of these advocates for elevation”.
In relation to advocate Krishnan Nair, all the four consultee-judges gave a positive opinion unanimously and noted that the candidate has extensive practice which is reflected in his substantially high professional income and a large number of reported judgments delivered in cases in which he appeared or argued.
Further, the SC Collegium brushed aside an adverse observation made by the Department of Justice in the file saying that the same should not come in the way of the recommendation of a candidate, particularly when the government in its assessment has fairly put on record a report that nothing adverse has come to notice against his integrity.
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