K. V. Viswanathan

Some Lesser Known Facts About K. V. Viswanathan

• K. V. Viswanathan is an Indian judge who practiced as a lawyer at the Supreme Court of India before getting elevated to the position of a judge. On 16 May 2023, the Supreme Court Collegium comprising CJI Dr D.Y. Chandrachud and Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, K. M. Joseph, Ajay Rastogi, and Sanjiv Khanna passed a resolution recommending the elevation of advocate K. V. Viswanathan as a judge of the Supreme Court of India, and on 19 May 2023, he was sworn in as a Supreme Court judge.

• He grew up in a middle-class family in Kalpathy, Palakkad, Kerala.

• Growing up in a family with a legal background, Viswanathan was inclined towards the field of law from a young age.

• While he was pursuing his graduation in law, Viswanathan practised as a legal intern at the Chamber of KA Ramachandran, a criminal trial lawyer at Coimbatore.

• He enrolled with the Bar Council of India in 1988 and moved to Delhi, where he joined the Chamber of senior advocate CS Vaidyanathan to practise law; Vaidyanathan was later appointed as the Additional Solicitor General of India.

• Two years later, he joined the Chamber of senior advocate KK Venugopal (who went on to become the Attorney General of India) and practised law under him for around five years.

• In April 2009, Viswanathan was elevated as a senior advocate by the Supreme Court of India.

  

• K. V. Viswanathan has represented his clients in numerous cases relating to diverse branches of law including constitutional law, criminal law, commercial law, the law of insolvency, and arbitration before the Supreme Court and High Courts across India.

• In 2013, the UPA-II government appointed him as the Additional Solicitor General of India.

  

• The Supreme Court has recognised his stature as an eminent member of the Bar in various cases, where he was appointed to assist the Supreme Court as amicus curiae.

• In October 2022, K. V. Viswanathan was on the verge of becoming the judge of the Supreme Court of India as the Supreme Court Collegium headed by Chief Justice of India UU Lalit had put forward his name. However, two of its members DY Chandrachud and Abdul Nazeer (retired) objected that the recommendation cannot be accepted through a letter without holding a meeting in person and did not sign the recommendation.

• A resolution was passed in the Supreme Court of India by its collegium headed by CJI DY Chandrachud on 16 May 2023, recommending Viswanathan’s appointment as a Supreme Court Judge directly from the Supreme Court Bar. The resolution read,
  

  The appointment of Shri KV Viswanathan will enhance the representation to the Bar in the composition of the Supreme Court. Shri Viswanathan is a distinguished member of the Bar of the Supreme Court. His wide experience and profound knowledge will provide a significant value addition to the Supreme Court.”

  On the approval of the recommendation by the central government, K. V. Viswanathan was elevated as a judge at the Supreme Court of India, and on 19 May 2023, he was sworn in as a Supreme Court judge, becoming the tenth lawyer to be appointed directly from the bar after Justices SM Sikri, SC Roy, Kuldip Singh, Santosh Hegde, Rohinton Fali Nariman, UU Lalit, L Nageswara Rao, Indu Malhotra, and PS Narasimha.

• KV Viswanathan has delivered numerous guest lectures at various law institutes across India, providing practical advice to aspiring law professionals.

  

• Having an experience of around 32 years as a lawyer, Viswanathan has handled several high-profile cases.

• K. V. Viswanathan also holds a membership of the Editorial Board of the Supreme Court Cases (SCC).

• In 2013, Viswanathan was invited as a chief guest at an event at the Amity Law School, Noida.

  

• In an interview, while talking about the requirement to set proper criteria like the minimum number of reported judgements and the pro bono work undertaken for the appointment of judges to the higher judiciary, he said,
  

  The amount of income tax being paid alone cannot be the basis. Experts in fields like criminal law and taxation also have to be considered. There has to be diversity. In England, some men of Asian origin have been appointed. Mr. Rabindra Singh has been appointed at the age of forty-seven as a High Court judge which is commendable. Apart from merit, they look at diversity. We also need to consider that because we are a diverse society.”