Justice Varale, formerly Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court, was sworn in by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud in a ceremony at the Supreme Court. The 58-year-old judge, who hails from Maharashtra, is the sixth most senior judge at the high court level in India.The elevation of Justice Varale was recommended by the five-member Supreme Court collegium on January 19th and approved by the central government on Wednesday. The appointment fills the sole vacancy created last month when Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul retired.With a full roster of judges, the Supreme Court is expected to maintain the high pace of case disposals achieved last year, when a record 52,191 cases were cleared. The heavy workload on judges made it imperative to operate at full strength, the collegium had emphasised.#WATCH | Delhi | Justice Prasanna B Varale takes oath as a Supreme Court judge. Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud administers the oath of office to him.(Video: Supreme Court of India YouTube) pic.twitter.com/8WRDq57QN8— ANI (@ANI) January 25, 2024Justice Varales appointment is also notable for improving the representation of marginalised communities in the higher judiciary. He belongs to the Scheduled Caste community and will be only the sixth SC judge ever appointed to the Supreme Court in its 73-year history.While upholding the seniority norm, the collegium took special note of Justice Varales background as an additional consideration validating his elevation. He is known as a judge of competence and integrity who has maintained high ethical standards throughout his judicial career.
