In a significant development for India’s judiciary, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Tuesday administered the oath of office to five newly appointed judges of the Supreme Court, taking the effective strength of the apex court to 37 judges against a sanctioned strength of 38.
The newly sworn-in judges are:
- Justice Sheel Nagu
- Justice Shree Chandrashekhar
- Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva
- Justice Arun Palli
- V Mohana
Boost to Women’s Representation
The elevation of senior advocate V Mohana is being seen as an important step towards improving women’s representation in the Supreme Court. Prior to her appointment, the apex court had only one serving woman judge, Justice B V Nagarathna.
Notably, no woman had been appointed to the Supreme Court since August 2021, making Mohana’s induction a significant milestone for gender diversity in the higher judiciary.
Collegium Recommendation and Government Approval
The Supreme Court Collegium had recommended the five names for elevation during meetings held on May 22 and May 27. Following the recommendation, the Centre approved the appointments on June 1.
Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal announced that the President had approved the appointments under Article 124(2) of the Constitution of India.
Supreme Court Nears Full Strength
The sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court was recently increased from 34 to 38 judges, including the Chief Justice of India. With the appointment of five new judges, the court’s working strength has risen substantially.
However, two vacancies are expected later this month following the retirement of Justice J K Maheshwari and Justice Pankaj Mithal.
The latest appointments are expected to help reduce the burden of pending cases and strengthen the functioning of the country’s highest judicial institution.
