By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Nov 2: The Supreme Court collegium headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Thursday recommended to the Centre the name of Justice S Vaidyanathan for appointment as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Meghalaya.
The post fell vacant after Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee demitted office on Wednesday.
The three-member collegium, also comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sanjiv Khanna, has additionally recommended the names of Justice Ritu Bahri and Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh for appointment as chief justices of the high courts of Uttarakhand and Orissa.
In a resolution notified on the website of the Supreme Court, the collegium noted that Justice Vaidyanathan has acquired “considerable” experience in dispensing justice.
Justice Vaidyanathan was appointed as a judge of the Madras High Court on October 25, 2013. He enrolled at the Bar in 1986 and practiced before the Madras High Court and various tribunals. His area of practice was labour, service, criminal and company matters, the notification said.
It further considered his contribution to the judiciary by way of disposal of cases, during his tenure of 10 years as a judge of the Madras High Court.
“He has authored 1,219 reported judgments, of which 692 were delivered during last 5 years. He has acquired considerable experience in dispensing justice in one of the largest High Courts in the country,” the Collegium said in its resolution.
The Collegium further noted that Justice Vaidyanathan is the senior-most judge in his parent High Court.
“He is a competent judge with humility, judicial temperament and unimpeachable integrity,” the Collegium said.
While recommending his name, the collegium has also taken into consideration the fact that the Madras High Court, which is one of the largest high courts in the country, is presently represented by only one Chief Justice among the Chief Justices of the High Courts. (With inputs from agencies)