Justice Prasanna B Varale Takes Oath As SC Judge

Justice Prasanna B Varale was sworn in as a Supreme Court judge today, with Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud administering the oath of office. The recommendation for Justice Varale’s elevation came from the Supreme Court Collegium, and the President of India released an official notification on January 24. The Collegium, comprising CJI and Justices Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, Surya Kant, and Aniruddha Bose, unanimously endorsed Justice Varale’s elevation.

With this appointment, Justice Varale becomes the third sitting judge of the Supreme Court from the Dalit community, joining Justices BR Gavai and CT Ravikumar. Notably, he was the senior-most High Court judge from the Scheduled Caste and the sole Chief Justice from a Scheduled Caste among Chief Justices of High Courts nationwide.

The Collegium highlighted Justice Varale’s competence, unimpeachable conduct, integrity, and adherence to high professional ethics in its resolution. Justice Varale, who practiced law for over 23 years, had a notable career covering constitutional cases in the High Court Bench at Aurangabad, as well as district and session courts. He was elevated to the position of judge on the Bombay High Court in 2008 and later appointed as Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court in October 2022.