Kerala High Court gets Seven Permanent Judges as Centre confirms elevations

Chief Justice Soumen Sen administered the oath of office to seven newly appointed permanent judges of the Kerala High Court. The appointments, recently cleared by the Union Government, convert their positions from additional to permanent judges, ensuring greater stability in the court’s functioning amid rising case pendency.

The Central Government had formally notified the elevation of Justices M.A. Abdul Hakhim, Syam Kumar V.M., Harisankar V. Menon, Manu S., Easwaran S., Manoj P.M., and M.B. Snehalatha earlier this week. All seven had been serving as additional judges since March 2024 (with Justice Snehalatha sworn in April 2024). Their professional backgrounds span constitutional and commercial litigation, taxation, admiralty law, insolvency, banking and insurance disputes, as well as significant stints in government law offices and the judicial service.

Administering the oath, Chief Justice Sen formally inducted them as permanent members of the Bench, marking the culmination of their transition after nearly a year of service in additional capacity. The notification solidifies their tenure, reflecting institutional confidence in their performance and integrity.

The operative effect of the Centre’s order is that all seven now hold office as permanent judges of the High Court.