Justice N. Paul Vasanthakumar, judge of the Madras High Court, has been elevated as the Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court.
Justice Vasantha has replaced the Chief Justice M M Kumar.
According to legal experts, the provisions of Article 217 will have to be followed for appointment of a Chief Justice of a High Court and in the case of Jammu & Kashmir High Court, appointment of Chief Justice is made in accordance with Section 95 of the Constitution of Jammu & Kashmir.
Sources said, “the process for appointment of Justice N Pal Vasantha Kumar had been initiated by the Chief Justice of India, H L Dattu in consultation with the two senior most Judges of the Supreme Court. He also ascertained the views of the senior most colleague in the Supreme Court, who was conversant with the affairs of the High Court in which the recommendee has been functioning and whose opinion is likely to be significant in adjudging the suitability of the candidate.”
As per the convention, the views of the Judges of the Supreme Court thus consulted were then sent by the Chief Justice of India along with his proposal, to the Union Minister of Law and Justice.
Profile
Justice Vasanthakumar, who is from Marthandam in Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu, had been a lawyer for 25 years.
Justice N. Paul was born on 15.03.1955. Passed .He was Enrolled as an Advocate in the year 1980. He was Junior to Late Mr. T. Martin. He was given a Honorary post of member in Ecclesiastical Synod Courts, C.S.I. Specialist in Service Law, Labour Law and Education matters. He held the post of Senior Standing Counsel for Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission and also Standing Counsel for Central Government. He was appointed as Additional Judge of High Court of Madras on 10.12.2005 and as Permanent Judge on 20.04.2007. During his stint in the High Court of Madras, he had delivered several important judgements on several legal issues.
Among the important judgements pronounced by Justice Vasantha included statutory prohibition for failing a student and retaining (him) in the same standard, refusing permission for granite quarrying in hilly areas, making compulsory for banks to provide loans to students for educational purposes, etc
