Supreme Court Collegium Recommends Two Malayali Women Advocates for Kerala High Court Judgeship
The Supreme Court collegium, in a significant development, has officially recommended the names of two distinguished Malayali women advocates for appointment as judges of the Kerala High Court. This recommendation, made on Tuesday, marks a pivotal step in the judicial appointment process for the state.
Collegium Approves Names of Liz Mathew Anthraper and A K Preetha
The collegium, which is headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, convened a meeting and approved the proposals for the elevation of Liz Mathew Anthraper, a senior advocate practicing in the Supreme Court, and A K Preetha, an advocate practicing in the Kerala High Court. Their names had been initially recommended by the Kerala High Court collegium back in April 2025, and the matter had been pending before the Supreme Court collegium since then.
With this clearance, the recommendation will now proceed to the central government for a final decision based on the collegium's advice. This process underscores the collaborative nature of judicial appointments in India, involving both the judiciary and the executive branch.
Background and Professional Achievements of the Recommended Advocates
A K Preetha hails from Peermade and is the daughter of the late advocate B R Aravindan Nair and Krishnamma. She obtained her law degree from the Kerala Law Academy in Thiruvananthapuram and enrolled as an advocate in 1997. Over her impressive 29-year career, she has gained extensive experience practicing before the High Court, labor court, and industrial tribunal. Her husband, S S Giri Sankar, serves as the principal of St Dominic's College of Law in Kanjirappally, Kottayam.
Liz Mathew Anthraper, the daughter of Mathew Anthraper of Ernakulam and Mariamma, is a graduate of the prestigious National Law School of India University in Bengaluru. Her career includes working as a junior to former Supreme Court judge Justice Indu Malhotra and former attorney general K K Venugopal. In 2008, she cleared the Supreme Court advocate-on-record (AoR) examination and established her independent practice. From 2011 to 2016, she served as standing counsel for the state of Kerala and was designated a senior advocate in January 2024, along with her husband, Adv Rakendu Basant. She has represented the state government in several high-profile cases, such as the Sabarimala women's entry case and the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple case.
Additional Recommendations for Karnataka High Court
In the same meeting, the collegium also cleared a proposal for the appointment of three judicial officers as judges of the Karnataka High Court. The officers recommended are Rajeshwari Narayana Hegde, Kedambadi Ganesh Shanthi, and Mahadevappa Brungesh. This move highlights the collegium's ongoing efforts to fill judicial vacancies across various high courts in the country, ensuring a robust and efficient judiciary.
The recommendations reflect a commitment to diversity and merit in the judicial system, particularly with the inclusion of experienced women advocates from Kerala. As the central government reviews these proposals, the legal community and public await the final appointments, which are expected to strengthen the judiciary's capacity and representation.
