In a recent development, Advocate Somasekhar Sundaresan has been appointed as an additional judge of the Bombay High Court by the Central government. The announcement was made via a tweet from Union Minister of State for Law & Justice, Arjun Ram Meghwal, on Thursday.

This decision follows the Supreme Court Collegium's reiterated recommendation in January to elevate Sundaresan as a judge. The Collegium, led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, asserted that expressing views on social media should not disqualify a candidate for a constitutional office, as long as the individual is competent, merits the position, and maintains integrity.

Sundaresan had initially been recommended for elevation by the Bombay High Court Collegium in October 2021. The Supreme Court Collegium endorsed his name in February 2022. However, on November 25, 2022, the Central government opposed his elevation, citing Sundaresan's social media engagement on matters pending in the courts as the reason.

In response, the Collegium defended Sundaresan, stating that his social media views did not indicate bias. Emphasizing Sundaresan's specialization in commercial law, the Collegium underscored his potential as an asset to the Bombay High Court, which handles a significant caseload of commercial and securities law matters. The Collegium also referred to the Department of Justice's reliance on the Second Judges case criteria, emphasizing the importance of high integrity, honesty, legal acumen, emotional stability, firmness, serenity, and endurance in the selection of judicial candidates.

Appointment of Somasekhar Sundaresan as Bombay HC judge.Notification