Khushi Gupta
Published on: May 6, 2022 at 16:40 IST
The Supreme Court Collegium, led by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, cleared two names for appointment as judges in the Apex Court.
Gauhati HC Chief Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Gujarat HC Judge Justice Jamshed Burjor Pardiwala have been recommended for elevation to the Supreme Court.
The decision of the collegium could also ensure the highest number of sitting Judges in the Apex Court since November 2019 when the Supreme Court worked with the full sanctioned strength of 34 Judges.
The Supreme Court collegium, which comprises Chief Justice of India Ramana, and Justices Uday U Lalit, AM Khanwilkar, Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud and L Nageswara Rao, had in August 2021 cleared a record nine names for appointments in the Apex Court, including Justice BV Nagarathna from the Karnataka High Court, who would go on to become the Country’s first Woman Chief Justice of India in 2027.
Apart from Justice Nagarathna, two more women Judges, Justices Hima Kohli and Bela M Trivedi, were also elevated to the Supreme Court following the Collegium’s recommendation, taking the tally of women Judges in the Top Court to four.
Justice Pardiwala is in line to become the Chief Justice of India in May 2028 and will have a tenure of two years and three months. Justice Dhulia will retire in 2025.
The recommendations will be sent to the Union Law Ministry, which has the option of sending the recommendations back to the collegium for review, but if the collegium resubmits them, it has to approve the names.
During the remaining part of the year, seven Supreme Court judges are set to retire. Chief Justice of India Ramana is due to demit office on August 26, and is likely to be succeeded by the second senior-most Judge, Justice Lalit.
Justice Lalit will be at the helm of affairs for less than two and a half months before he demits office on November 8.