Justice Vibhu Bakhru Assumes Charge as Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court

Justice Vibhu Bakhru assumed charge as the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court after the oath of office was administered to him by Karnataka Governor Thawarchand Gehlot on Saturday.

The oath ceremony was attended by several dignitaries, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Acting Chief Justice V. Kameswar Rao, and other officials.

Notably, Justice Bakhru was elevated as Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court following a recommendation by the Supreme Court Collegium during its meeting on May 26, 2025.

Justice Bakhru served as a judge of the Delhi High Court prior to his elevation. He obtained his law degree from Law Centre-I, University of Delhi, in 1990 and enrolled with the Bar Council of Delhi in September that year.

Over the years, he built a robust legal practice before the Supreme Court, Delhi High Court, Company Law Board, and various other tribunals. He was designated as a Senior Advocate by the Delhi High Court on July 28, 2011. He was later appointed as an Additional Judge of the Delhi High Court on April 17, 2013, and was confirmed as a Permanent Judge on March 18, 2015.

Before assuming charge in Karnataka, Justice Bakhru was given a farewell at the Delhi High Court. Speaking on the occasion, Justice Bakhru said,“I joined Law Centre-I. After doing some odd assignments, I joined the chamber of Mr. Harish Salve and later branched out on my own. I never filed in this Court or any other. I also had the honour of being designated as a Senior Advocate.”

Addressing the Bar, he added, “To the members of the Bar, thank you for having faith in this institution. The institution evolves, but at its core lies integrity. I know I may not always have been right, but I have always abided by the Constitution of India.”

Justice Bakhru went on to express gratitude to his staff, saying that each of his Law Researchers (LRs) had come to learn that there is no such thing as work-life balance. On a lighter note, he added, “There is only work, and that’s life.”

During the farewell, the judge also expressed gratitude to his spouse and children.

Justice Bakhru concluded his farewell speech by saying, “The Delhi High Court will always hold a special place in my heart. May this Court continue to shine as a beacon of justice. Thank you, and Jai Hind.”