The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended the names of two High court judges Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal and Chief Justice Aravind Kumar as judges of the Supreme Court.
While recommending the above names the Collegium has taken into consideration the following aspects:
a. The seniority of Chief Justices and senior puisne Judges in their respective parent High Courts as well as overall seniority of the High Court Judges;
b. The merit, performance and integrity of the judges under consideration; and
c. The need to ensure diversity and inclusion in the Supreme
Court by:
(i) representation of High Courts which are not represented or are inadequately represented, in the Supreme Court;
(ii) appointing persons from marginalized and backward segments of society;
(iii) gender diversity; and
(iv) representation of minorities.
The Collegium resolves to recommend that (i) Mr Justice Rajesh Bindal and (ii) Mr Justice Aravind Kumar, be appointed as Judges of the Supreme Court of India.
At present ,Justice Bindal is serving as a Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court whereas Justice Kumar is the Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court.
The collegium after evaluating the merit, integrity and competence of eligible Chief Justices and senior Judges of the High Courts along with plurality of considerations, found two people who seem most deserving and suitable in all respects for being appointed as Judges of the Supreme Court of India:
The first name in the list was Justice Rajesh Bindal, who is the Chief Justice, High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, (PHC: Punjab & Haryana).
The second name is that of Justice Aravind Kumar, who is the Chief Justice, High Court of Gujarat, (PHC: Karnataka),” the Collegium resolution said.
These two names would be added to the earlier recommendation made by the Collegium on December 13, 2022 to elevate five judges to the top court.
The resolution passed has said that the five judges recommended earlier will have seniority over the two recommended on Tuesday.
The Collegium said that the appointments of five judges recommended on December 13, 2022 should be notified separately and earlier in point of time before the two judges recommended by this resolution.
The resolution of the Collegium in regard to the appointment Justice Bindal was unanimous.
As far as the appointment of Justice Aravind Kumar, one of the members of the Collegium, Justice KM Joseph, has put forward his reservation on the ground that his name can be considered at a later stage