Srinagar, Nov 28: S Muralidhar, former Chief Justice of Odisha court, is set to lead three-member United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, succeeding Brazilian legal expert Paulo Sergio Pinheiro. The key panel is tasked with investigating human rights violations in Israel and the “Occupied Palestinian Territory”, according to a report by India Today.
Retired in 2023, Justice Muralidhar will head one of the UN’s most closely watched human rights panels, which was set up in 2021 to examine alleged violations of human rights law on both sides of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
About Justice Muralidhar
Justice Muralidhar, known for his bold judgments and progressive outlook, started his career as an advocate in the Madras High Court in 1984, before moving to the Delhi High Court. He also practised at the Supreme Court for nearly two decades and served in the National Human Rights Commission.
In 2006, he was appointed a judge of the Delhi High Court and elevated to the Chief Justice of the Orissa High Court in 2021.
Among his key judgments was the reading down of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code in 2019, which in effect decriminalised homosexuality. It was, however, overturned by the Supreme Court in 2013.
The noted jurist, who has built a reputation as a champion of the disadvantaged in his illustrious 17-year career, has also faced his fair share of controversies. In 2020, he was transferred to the Punjab and Haryana High Court through a midnight order – a move that sparked outrage in the legal fraternity.
The transfer notification came on a day a bench headed by him pulled up Delhi Police for failing to register FIRs against three BJP leaders for alleged hate speeches that purportedly triggered the riots in northeast Delhi. The 2020 riots left over 50 dead and hundreds injured.
After retiring in 2023, Justice Muralidhar returned to legal practice and was designated a senior advocate by the Supreme Court.
About the Commission
Last year, the commission was given more teeth and was directed to file reports on Israeli settlers and on arms sales, including those during Israel’s military operations in Gaza after October 7, 2023.
Gaza has been at the centre of a two-year conflict between Israel and Hamas, triggered by the Palestinian terror outfit’s unprecedented attack on Tel Aviv in October 2023. A fragile truce brokered by the US has been in place since October 10.
A report submitted by the commission in September 2025 claimed that Israel committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The commission reports to both the UN Human Rights Council and the UN General Assembly.
At a time when the Israel–Palestine conflict has generated global concern as well as intense scrutiny, Justice Muralidhar’s actions and inquiry reports will be closely watched.
