Former Supreme Court Justice V. Ramasubramaniam Appointed as NHRC Chairperson: A Distinguished Legal Legacy Continues
Justice V. Ramasubramaniam, a retired judge of the Supreme Court of India, has been appointed as the Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). This appointment follows the retirement of Justice Arun Mishra, who vacated the position on June 1, 2024. During the interim period, NHRC member Vijayabharathi Sayani discharged the duties of the Chairperson in an acting capacity.
Justice Ramasubramaniam pursued his legal education at the Madras Law College and was enrolled as an advocate on February 16, 1983. He practiced law for about 23 years before the Madras High Court before his elevation. On July 31, 2006, he was elevated as an Additional Judge of the Madras High Court and subsequently appointed Permanent Judge on November 9, 2009.
Pursuant to his request, he was transferred to the High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad on April 27, 2016. Following the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, he continued his tenure as a judge of the Telangana High Court starting January 1, 2019. Justice Ramasubramaniam subsequently assumed office as the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court on June 22, 2019, and later ascended to the Supreme Court of India as a judge on September 23, 2019, serving until his retirement on June 29, 2023.
The National Human Rights Commission, constituted on October 12, 1993, under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, functions as per the provisions of the Act, which was subsequently amended by the Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Act, 2006. The NHRC operates in alignment with the Paris Principles, adopted during the first international workshop on national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights held in Paris in October 1991. These principles were later endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly through Resolution 48/134 on December 20, 1993.
The NHRC serves as a testament to India’s unwavering commitment to the promotion and safeguarding of human rights.
