The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended the elevation of three advocates and one judicial officer as judges of the Kerala High Court.A Collegium statement to this effect was issued on Thursday. The following names have been proposed for appointment as Kerala High Court judges:AdvocatesTR RaviBechu Kurian ThomasGopinath PJudicial OfficerMR Anitha.Bechu Kurian Thomas is one of the youngest Senior Advocates at the Kerala High Court. Having joined the Bar in 1992, Kurian’s father, former Supreme Court judge, Justice KT Thomas (then a Kerala High Court judge) advised him against practicing in the High Court since he was a sitting judge of the High Court. .“These allegations of nepotism are actually not true”, In Conversation with Senior Advocate Bechu Kurian.He, therefore, started his practice in lower courts in Kottayam before shifting base to Kerala High Court when his father was elevated to the Supreme Court..He was the 1st Rank Holder in Mahatma Gandhi University in 1992. He was the Recipient of the British Council-Chevening in 1997 and underwent study in English & EC Commercial Law at College of Law York. He is also the founder member and Governing Council Member of the Indian Institute of Maritme Law. He was the Standing Counsel of Kerala University from 2014-2015..Gopinath P obtained his LL.B degree in 1996, holding the 1st Rank. He went on to complete his LL.M from Cambridge in 1999 on a fully funded Cambridge Commonwealth Trust Scholarship. He was also the Incoming Pegasus Scholar of the Inner Temple (1999). In December 2018, he was designated as a Senior Advocate..The Kerala High Court presently has 27 permanent judges and 5 additional judges. If the Central Government clears the above nominees for appointment, the working strength of the High Court will rise to 32 judges as against the sanctioned strength of 47 judges (35 permanent and 12 additional judges)..[Read the Collegium Statement]
