Justice Varale takes oath as SC judge, full strength achieved

NEW DELHI: Justice Prasanna B Varale was on Thursday sworn in as a judge of the Supreme Court, taking the number of judges to full strength of 34 in the top court.

In a ceremony, Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud administered the oath of office to Justice Varale, who was hitherto the chief justice of the Karnataka High Court since October 15, 2022.

All the judges of the top court, senior advocates, law officers and family members of the newly appointed judge were present on the occasion.

The President on Wednesday cleared the Supreme Court Collegium's January 19 recommendation for elevation of Karnataka High Court's Chief Justice Varale as the top court's judge.

Justice Varale, senior-most Judge belonging to a Scheduled Caste category, was appointed to fill up a vacancy created upon retirement of Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul on December 25, 2023.

Justice Varale, originally from the Bombay High Court, is the only Chief Justice belonging to a Scheduled Caste among the Chief Justices of High Courts across the country.

He stood at serial number six in the combined all India seniority of High Court Judges.

Justice Varale was appointed as a Judge of the High Court of Bombay on July 18, 2008. He was elevated as Chief Justice of the High Court of Karnataka in 2022.

Prior to his appointment as a judge of the High Court, he practised at the Bar for over 23 years in civil, criminal, labour and administrative law matters in District and Sessions Court and in Constitutional matters at the High Court Bench at Aurangabad.