Advocate Somasekhar Sundaresan on Tuesday sworn in as an additional judge of the Bombay High Court.
His appointment to the additional judge position was made by the central government on November 23, 11 months after the Supreme Court collegium recommended his name.
It is to be noted that the Bombay High Court Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya administered the oath to Sundaresan.
The Bombay High Court collegium had initially recommended Sundaresan for elevation as a judge in October 2021. Subsequently, the Supreme Court collegium also recommended his name in February 2022.
In November 2022, the central government sought reconsideration of Sundaresan’s candidature, citing his expressions on social media regarding matters under consideration in the courts. However, in January of the following year, the Supreme Court collegium reaffirmed its recommendation, stating that Sundaresan’s social media comments did not imply bias.
On November 23, the central government approved his name, appointing him as an additional judge. Currently, the Bombay High Court operates with 68 judges, compared to the sanctioned strength of 94.