Vibhu Bakhru, the new Chief Justice of the High Court of Karnataka, on Saturday, said it was his responsibility to strengthen the judiciary the way it serves the people better, along with protecting independence of the institution.

“As Chief Justice, I view it as my responsibility not only to protect the independence of the judiciary but also to strengthen the institution the way it serves the people better, to reduce delay, and to enhance access to embrace technology without losing the human touch, to ensure that our courts are safe, includes spaces for all, specially marginalised…,” he said in his response to the customary welcome offered to him by the Full Court of the Karnataka High Court and the Karnataka State Bar Council.

Earlier, Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot administered the oath of office to Chief Justice Bakhru at a ceremony held at the Glass House of the Raj Bhavan, which was attended by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, and Chairman of the Karnataka Legislative Council Basavaraj Horatti.

Allegiance to Constitution

Stating that the judges’ sworn allegiance is to the Constitution of India, Chief Justice Bakhru said that the Constitution and the freedom that it guarantees would not be sustainable if the institutions, on which it rests, are weak. “It is your faith in this institution that sustains it. It’s our job to ensure that this faith is not misplaced,” he said.

Ideals of visionary Basvananna remind us that justice must transcend privilege and reach every corner of society, the Chief Justice said while pointing out that Basavanna taught about a just society grounded in dignity, equity, and moral courage.

“While we take inspiration from Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, whose commitment to social justice and constitutional values remains our guiding light, in Sir M. Visvesvaraiah, we were reminded that public service, whether in engineering, governance, and law, demands discipline, excellence, and integrity,” Chief Justice Bakhru said.

Born in Nagpur in 1966, Chief Justice Bakhru had his education in Delhi where he secured BCom, Chartered Accountancy, and LL.B degrees and enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council of Delhi in 1990. After extensive practice in law, he was elevated as an additional judge of the High Court of Delhi on April 17, 2013, and as a permanent judge on March 18, 2015. He had served as acting Chief Justice of the High Court of Delhi between December 5, 2024 and January 21, 2025.

Transferred judges

Meanwhile, Justice Jayant Banerji, who was serving as a judge of the Allahabad High Court since September 22, 2017, took oath as a judge of the High Court of Karnataka on his transfer from Allahabad. Also, Justice D.K. Singh took oath as a judge of the High Court of Karnataka, on his transfer from Kerala.

After the oath-taking and welcoming ceremonies, the High Court of Karnataka on Saturday bid a farewell to Justice V. Kameswar Rao, who has been repatriated to the High Court of Delhi. He had served as acting Chief Justice of the High Court of Karnataka from May 30 to July 18.