| Honorific-Prefix: | Justice |
| V. S. Malimath | |
| Office1: | Chairman, Central Administrative Tribunal |
| Term Start1: | 12 December 1991 |
| Term End1: | 11 June 1994 |
| Appointer1: | R. Venkataraman |
| Predecessor1: | Amitav Banerji |
| Successor1: | S. C. Mathur |
| Office2: | Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court |
| Term Start2: | 24 October 1985 |
| Term End2: | 11 June 1991 |
| Appointer2: | Zail Singh |
| Predecessor2: | K. Bhaskaran |
| Successor2: | M. Jagannadha Rao |
| Office3: | Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court |
| Term Start3: | 6 February 1984 |
| Term End3: | 24 October 1985 |
| Appointer3: | Zail Singh |
| Predecessor3: | K. Bhimaiah |
| Successor3: | Kalmanje Jagannatha Shetty |
| Birth Date: | 1929 7, df=yes |
| Death Place: | Bengaluru, India |
| Alma Mater: | University of London |
V. S. Malimath (12 June 1929 – 22 December 2015) was an Indian jurist, who served as Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court[1] and Karnataka High Court. He also was the Chairman of the Central Administrative Tribunal, and then member of the National Human Rights Commission of India. He headed the Committee on Reform of Criminal Justice System.[2]
Malimath did his primary education from Karnataka. He then secured First Rank in LL.B. and a post Graduate Diploma in Public International Law from University of London in 1952.
Malimath started his law practice in the High Court of Bombay in 1952. He moved his practice to Bangalore in 1956. The state then appointed him Advocate General in 1968.[3] He rose rapidly through the ranks of the Judiciary. He was appointed a Judge of the Karnataka High Court in 1970 and became Chief Justice of the Karnataka Court in 1984. He was then transferred to Kerala as its Chief Justice in 1985.[4]
He served on the Central Administrative Tribunal as its chair.[5] He served as a member of the National Human Rights Commission.[6] After his retirement from the high court he also headed the Committee on Reform of Criminal Justice System in India. He was a U.N. Representative to monitor human rights enforcement in Nigeria [7] and Sri Lanka. The International Bar Association appointed him as part of a fact finding mission to Sri Lanka to assess the circumstances surrounding a call for a constitutional referendum and its effect on the country's judiciary.[8] [9]
He was also the chair of the Karnataka Border Protection Committee.[10] [11] He also headed committee for reforms in Code of Civil Procedure.
He represented India in several international conferences. He was conferred with the National Citizen's Award by the President of India, Rajyotsava Award by the Government of Karnataka, and an Honorary Doctorate of Law by Karnataka University.In 2011, Hampi University conferred the Nadoja Award upon V.S. Malimath.[12] [13]