Abhay Shreeniwas Oka, currently the Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court has been appointed as the judge of Supreme Court of India by President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday, August 26. AS Oka who is one of the senior-most judges in the country was among the nine judges who were recommended by the collegium for the elevation to the apex court.
AS Oka served as the Bombay High Court Judge between the years 2003 and 2019 and followed that he took charge as Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court in May 2019. Born in May 1960, AS Oka decided to pick up law as his profession though he did Bachelor in Science. After having finished law degree from Mumbai University, Oka joined the legal fraternity in 1983.
In the initial days of his career as an advocate, AS Oka practiced at Thane District Court under his father, Shreeniwas W Oka. In subsequent years, he joined with various former judges of Bombay High Court.
AS Oka served 19 years in Bombay High Court, during which, he was appointed as additional judge of Bombay High Court in August 2003 and later appointed as permanent judge in November 2005.
During his tenure so far, AS Oka has given several landmark and significant judgements both at Bombay and Karnataka High Courts.
During the COVID-19 pandemic induced nation-wide lockdown, the Chief Justice of Karnataka High Courts wrote several judgments for the welfare of migrant workers and questioned the governance of the state in handling the pandemic.
Further, Justice Oka also ordered for pothole-free roads and stated that it is a right of every citizen.