The SC Collegium has recommended Justice K. Somashekar as Chief Justice of the Manipur High Court following the retirement of Justice D. Krishnakumar on May 21, 2025. The decision aligns with established procedures under the Memorandum of Procedure for judicial appointments.
The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended the appointment of Justice Kempaiah Somashekar as the next Chief Justice of the Manipur High Court. This recommendation follows the impending retirement of the current Chief Justice, D. Krishnakumar, scheduled for May 21, 2025.
A statement released on the official website of the Supreme Court confirmed the decision: “The Supreme Court Collegium in its meeting held on 15th May, 2025, has recommended appointment of Mr. Justice Kempaiah Somashekar, Judge, High Court of Karnataka, as the Chief Justice of High Court of Manipur, consequent upon the retirement of Mr. Justice D. Krishnakumar on 21st May, 2025.”
Born on September 15, 1963, Justice Somashekar has had a long and distinguished career in the judiciary. His journey began with his direct appointment as a District and Sessions Judge on June 17, 1998. Over the years, he has served in various judicial capacities, including Additional District and Sessions Judge at Bijapur (now Vijayapura), Bangalore’s City Civil Court, and Principal District and Sessions Judge in districts such as Uttara Kannada (Karwar), Hassan, Bangalore Rural, and Chitradurga.
Justice Somashekar was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Allahabad High Court in November 2016. Two years later, in November 2018, he took oath as a permanent Judge of the Karnataka High Court. Apart from his judicial responsibilities, he has also held administrative positions such as Registrar Judicial and Registrar Vigilance of the Karnataka High Court.
Before ascending to the Bench, he practiced law in Mysore and Chamarajanagar, dealing with both civil and criminal cases.
The appointment process for Chief Justices of High Courts is governed by the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP). According to the MoP, the Chief Justice of India (CJI) initiates the process by recommending a suitable candidate in consultation with the two senior-most judges of the Supreme Court. This collective is commonly referred to as the Supreme Court Collegium.
The MoP stipulates that this process must commence well in advance to ensure that the vacancy is filled at least one month prior to the anticipated retirement date. Additionally, the CJI seeks the opinion of a senior judge of the Supreme Court familiar with the functioning of the concerned High Court to assess the candidate’s suitability.
Once the Collegium’s recommendation is finalized, the Union Minister of Law and Justice seeks feedback from the relevant state government. The proposal is then forwarded to the Prime Minister, who advises the President of India. Following presidential approval, the Department of Justice formally announces the appointment and issues a notification in the Gazette of India.
If the recommendation is accepted and approved in time, Justice K. Somashekar will take over the reins of the Manipur High Court, ensuring continuity in leadership and judicial administration.
