New Delhi: Judicial officer Mohd Yousuf Wani has been appointed as an additional judge of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court. Also six advocates appointed as judges on Thursday.
According to a Law Ministry statement, advocates Mullappally Abdul Aziz Abdul Hakhim, Syam Kumar Vadakke Mudavakkat, Harisankar Vijayan Menon, Manu Sreedharan Nair, Easwaran Subramani and Manoj Pulamby Madhavan have been appointed as additional judges of the Kerala High Court.
Separately, 10 additional judges of the Bombay High Court have been elevated as permanent judges.
Additional judges are usually appointed for a period of two years before being elevated as judges or what is popularly called “permanent judges”.
“In exercise of the power conferred by Clause (1) of Article 224 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint Shri Mohd. Yousuf Wani, to be an Additional Judge of the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court, for a period of two years with effect from the date he assumes the charge of his office,” reads a notification issued by ministry of law and justice system.
On March 12, the Supreme Court Collegium recommended the name of Mohammad Yousuf Wani, Judicial Officer, as Judge of the High Court of J&K and Ladakh.
Last year on September 21, the Chief Justice of the High Court of J&K and Ladakh in consultation with his two senior-most colleagues had recommended the appointment of Wani as an Additional Judge of the High Court.
“In order to ascertain the suitability of the candidate for elevation to the High Court, we have consulted Judges of the Supreme Court who are conversant with the affairs of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh,” the Collegium headed by the Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud had said.
For the purpose of assessing the merit and suitability of the candidate for elevation to the High Court, the Collegium is said to have scrutinized and evaluated the material placed on record.
“We have also perused the observations made by the Department of Justice in the file.”
Mohammad Yousuf Wani joined the judicial service on 9 December 1997 and has served as a judicial officer in various capacities. Prior to this, he practised at the Bar for over three years.
“The inputs placed by the Government in the file indicate that he enjoys a good personal and professional image. Nothing adverse has come to notice with regard to his integrity,” the Collegium had noted.
The Annual Confidential Reports of the officer are consistently of a high order, it said.
“The consultee-judges have concurrently given a positive opinion about his suitability for appointment as a Judge of the High Court,” the Collegium had said, adding, “Having regard to the material on record and all relevant factors, the Collegium is of the considered view that Shri Mohammad Yousuf Wani is fit and suitable for being appointed as a Judge of the High Court for Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.”

KR Desk