Justice Kothari sworn in as second senior-most judge

Justice Vineet Kothari, who was transferred from the Karnataka High Court througha Central government notification issued earlier this month, took charge as the second senior-most judge of theMadras High Court (MHC)after Chief Justice VK Tahilramani.

On being sworn in by the Chief Justice on Friday, Justice Kothari commenced his address in Tamil saying “I am very happy to come to MHC.”

Thanking the Supreme Court collegium for accepting his request to retain him in South India, he said “Coming to this prestigious court is a matter of pride and privilege for me. On entering the portals of this temple of justice, my head naturally bowed in respect and instantaneously I touched the steps of this temple. I know, Tamil Nadu is a state of religion, and the beautiful temples of this richly endowed State would attract anyone who believes in God like me.”

“With the able assistance and guidance of my colleagues and members of the bar I will be able to contribute my bid in the service of litigants, especially the poor sections of Society for providing justice,” he added.

Earlier, Advocate General Vijay Narayan on welcoming the gathering referred to numerous academic feats of Justice Kothari, while nurturing his legal career as an advocate and later as a judge.

Madras High Court Advocates Association, vice-president R. Sudha, Women’s Law Association, president V Nalini, Madras Bar Association, secretary, V R Kamalanathan and Law Association, president, Krishnakumar, offered felicitations.

Justice Kothari on obtaining his LLB degree in 1981, enrolled with the Bar Council of Rajasthan in 1984. Besides obtaining his master’s degree in law in 1999, he also obtained a PhD in Tax Laws in 2004 and served as a part-time faculty in Department of Law at the University of Jodhpur between 1994 and 2000.

After about 20 years of practice in Rajasthan High Court and the Supreme Court, he was elevated as judge of the Rajasthan High Court in 2005 and thereafter transferred to the Karnataka High Court in 2016.

With Justice Kothari’s appointment the number of judges in MHC has risen to 61.