Tamil Nadu Guv Ravi appoints Manikumar as the chairman of State Human Rights Commission

CHENNAI: Governor R N Ravi has appointed S Manikumar, former Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court as the chairman of the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC), Tamil Nadu.

According to the order issued by Governor Ravi, Manikumar will serve as the Chairman of the State Human Rights Commission for a period of three years.

"By virtue of the power vested in me under sub-section (1) of Section 22 of The Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, as amended by Central Act 19 of 2019, I, RN Ravi, Governor of Tamil Nadu, do hereby appoint Justice S Manikumar, former Chief Justice of Kerala High Court, to be the Chairperson of the SHRC for a period of three years or till he attains the age of seventy years, whichever is earlier, with effect from the date of assumption of charge, " the order read.

It may be recalled that earlier in August 2023, the Government of Kerala took a decision to appoint S Manikumar as the Chairperson of the SHRC, Kerala, within a few months of his retirement as the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court and in April this year, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan had approved the appointment.

However, Manikumar had demurred from accepting his appointment as chairperson of the SHRC, Kerala, citing personal reasons.

S Manikumar, was sworn in as the Additional Judge of the Madras High Court on July 31, 2006 and as a permanent judge on November 11, 2009 and remained a judge of the Madras High Court till October 09, 2019.

As the office of the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court became vacant after the elevation of its former Chief Justice Hrihikesh Roy to the Supreme Court, the SC Collegium recommended the name of Justice S Manikumar, who was at that time the senior-most judge of the Madras High Court, to be appointed as the next Chief Justice.

He was then sworn in as the 36th Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court on October 11, 2019.