Supreme Court gets five new judges, strength increases to 37
New Delhi, June 2
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Tuesday administered the oath of office to five new judges of the Supreme Court, taking the court's strength to 37.
Judges who took oath today- Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court, Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, Chief Justice of Bombay High Court, Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court, Justice Arun Palli, Chief Justice of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court, and senior advocate V Mohana.
The elevation of senior advocate Mohana is expected to strengthen women's representation in the Supreme Court, which currently has only one woman judge, Justice BV Nagarathna. No woman has been appointed to the apex court since August 2021.
The Supreme Court Collegium on May 27 had recommended five names to the Centre for appointment as judges of the Supreme Court of India. The recommendation was made at the Collegium meetings held on May 22 and 27.
The Centre, on June 1, cleared the appointment of five judges to the Supreme Court.
Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal took to the social media platform X and said that the President had approved the appointments under Article 124(2) of the Constitution.
The sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court was recently increased by four, taking the total number of judges, including the Chief Justice of India, to 38. At present, the Supreme Court is functioning with 32 judges, while two more vacancies will arise in June following the retirement of Justice JK Maheshwari and Justice Pankaj Mithal.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Not a single woman appointed since August 2021?! That's shameful. Justice Nagarathna must be feeling isolated. The Collegium needs to prioritize gender diversity. Justice Mohana is a step in right direction but why only one? We need more women on the bench. 🙏
Justice Sheel Nagu from Punjab & Haryana HC – solid choice. Heard good things about his land disputes judgments. But why is the government taking so long to clear appointments? The May 27 recommendation was cleared only on June 1? Should be faster.
Good to see the Supreme Court getting more judges to handle the caseload. The Indian judiciary works hard despite challenges. Justice Mohana's elevation as a woman is a positive sign, though more female representation is clearly needed. Hope the new judges serve with integrity.
Strengthening the Supreme Court is always welcome, but I wish the Collegium system was more transparent. Too many appointments happen behind closed doors. Also, we need judges from diverse backgrounds – region, caste, experience. Justice Mohana's elevation shows there's hope for inclusion. 🚀
As an outsider looking at India's legal system, it's fascinating. 37 judges for the highest court seems less than some US states have at the trial level. But I'm told the workload is immense. Hope these new judges expedite pending cases – especially ones involving civil rights.
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