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Big Judicial Move : 3 High Court Chief Justices Recommended for Supreme Court
New Delhi : The Supreme Court could soon see the appointment of three new judges after the Supreme Court Collegium recommended the elevation of three serving High Court Chief Justices to the apex court. The recommendations include Justice Sunita Agarwal, Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court and Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh, Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court. The recommendation was made by the five member Supreme Court Collegium headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices Vikram Nath, B.V. Nagarathna, M.M. Sundresh and P.S. Narasimha.
If the recommendations are approved and the three judges take oath, the working strength of the Supreme Court is expected to rise to 37 judges, against the sanctioned strength of 38. Justice Sunita Agarwal’s proposed elevation would also have significance for representation of women in the apex court.
The Supreme Court currently has two women judges, Justice B.V. Nagarathna and Justice V. Mohana, and her appointment would take the number to three. The three recommended judges bring extensive experience from their respective High Courts, and their elevation will now move through the established judicial appointment process before the final appointments are notified.
The recommendations come at a time when the Supreme Court continues to handle a wide range of constitutionally significant matters and a substantial volume of cases, making the filling of vacancies an important part of maintaining the court’s sanctioned strength. The final appointment will depend on the completion of the prescribed process, following which the three judges would formally join the Supreme Court.
