Thiruvananthapuram: The state government has appointed S Manikumar, former Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court, as the chairman of the State Human Rights Commission.
At the meeting convened for the purpose, leader of opposition V D Satheesan registered his strong objection to the appointment of Manikumar.
The chairperson of the Human Rights Commission is selected by a committee consisting of the assembly speaker, chief minister, and the leader of opposition. However, there is no impediment to appointing the chairperson even if the leader of opposition objects to it.
The chief minister proposed just Manikumar's name at the meeting. Satheesan opposed the suggestion. According to the convention, the government should intimate all the members of the committee of the names of deserving candidates and related details much ahead of the meeting.
Grounds for dissent
Satheesan wrote in his dissenting note that proposing just one person’s name for consideration for the post raised suspicion. He stated that when evaluating his work as the Chief Justice, there are concerns whether Manikumar would be able to function in an impartial and just manner. The imposition of the decision is unacceptable.
Satheesan recorded his strong opposition to the appointment being made to the high post by 'flouting all democratic norms'.
Manikumar retired from the Kerala High Court on April 24. He was functioning as the Assistant Solicitor General when he was made a judge of the Madras High Court in 2006. Manikumar, who hails from Tamil Nadu, was appointed as the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court on October 11, 2019.
The opposition had criticised the send-off given to Manikumar by the state government at a star hotel at Kovalam.
It was indeed the first time that the government had accorded a send-off to a retiring Chief Justice of the High Court.
As per tradition, a full court reference is held in honour of a retiring Chief Justice.