9 New Supreme Court Judges
Nine new Supreme Court Judges, including three women, were administered their oaths of office by Chief Justice NV Ramana.
9 New Supreme Court Judges
Nine new Supreme Court Judges, including three women, were administered their oaths of office by Chief Justice NV Ramana. It is for the first time in the history of the apex court that nine judges took oath of office at one go.
More Important Points:
● With the swearing-in of the nine new judges, the strength of the Supreme Court has now risen to 33, including the CJI, out of the sanctioned strength of 34.
● The government’s nod to appoint nine judges comes a week after the Supreme Court Collegium, ending a nearly two-year-long impasse, sent its recommendations. The list has three women, and includes Justice BV Nagarathna, who could become the first woman Chief Justice of India in 2027. Justice Oka will be the most senior among the nine judges.
● Others in the list include, in order of seniority, Gujarat High Court Chief Justice Vikram Nath, Sikkim High Court Chief Justice J K Maheshwari, Telangana High Court Chief Justice Hima Kohli, Karnataka High Court judge Justice B V Nagarathna, Justice C T Ravikumar of Kerala High Court, Justice M M Sundaresh of Madras High Court, Justice Bela Trivedi of Gujarat High Court, and senior advocate P S Narasimha.
● Justices Nath, Nagarathna and senior advocate Narasimha will join the line of succession for the office of the CJI. While Justice Nath and Narasimha are likely to have a tenure of just over six months, the expected first woman CJI is likely to have a relatively short tenure of just over a month.
● With the additions, the apex court will have four women judges for the first time — Justices Nagarathna, Kohli and Trivedi, besides Justice Indira Banerjee, the only woman judge in SC at present.
● The top court has seen very few women judges since its inception and in the last over 71 years has appointed only eight women judges starting from M Fathima Beevi in
1989. Justice Indira Banerjee is the lone serving woman judge in the top court after her elevation on August 7, 2018.
Appointment of Judges of the Supreme Court:
● Every Judge of the Supreme Court shall be appointed by the President by warrant under his/her hand and seal.
● In judicial appointments, it is obligatory for the President to take into account the opinion of the CJI.
● The opinion of the CJI is binding on the Government. The opinion of the CJI must be formed after due consultation with a collegium of at least four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court.
● Even if two judges give an adverse opinion, then he should not send the recommendation to the Government.
