Victoria Gowri Takes Oath as Judge, Supreme Court Rejects Petition
The proposed appointment of Ms. Gowri to a higher position has faced criticism due to claims of her association with the BJP. However, Victoria Gowri has taken an Oath as Supreme Court Rejects Petition.
The Supreme Court dismissed the petitions attempting to prevent Lekshmana Chandra Victoria Gowri, a lawyer, from being sworn in as a judge of the Madras High Court today. The ceremony was in progress while the case was still being heard in court.
The special bench made up of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai stated, “We are not accepting the writ petitions. Further explanation will be provided.”
During the hearing, Justice Khanna stated that there is a difference between being eligible and suitable for a role. He said, “Eligibility may be challenged, but suitability is not for the courts to judge. Otherwise, the entire process could become chaotic.”
Allegations against Victoria Gowri
Raju Ramachandran, a senior advocate, approached the court earlier seeking immediate action as the appointment of Ms. Gowri had been notified by the Center. He argued that the appointment process was flawed because crucial information was not shared with the collegium. The judges stated that they had reviewed all the information on record.
Justice Gavai stated that he too had a political background, but it did not interfere with his duties.
Ramachandran argued that political background was not the issue, it was hate speech, which goes against the Constitution, making her unfit to take the oath. He said, “It is not a question of eligibility, but rather of suitability. And, we cannot direct the collegium.”
The bench added, “It may not be appropriate to assume that the collegium did not take these factors into consideration.”
Actions by Members of Madras High court
Some members of the Madras High Court bar wrote to the Chief Justice of India seeking the recall of the recommendation to appoint Victoria Gowri as an additional judge of the high court due to allegations of hate speech against Christians and Muslims. The proposed elevation of Ms. Gowri has been surrounded by controversy following reports of her suspected connection to the BJP.
Recommended reading: India-South Korea Diplomacy Strengthened by Buddhist Ties
