President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday approved all nine names, including three women and one lawyer, recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium and accepted by the government for appointment as judges of the top court.
The new Judges include four High Court Chief Justices – Justice Vikram Nath (Gujarat), Justice A. S. Oka (Karnataka), Justice Hima Kohli (Telangana) and Justice J. K. Maheshwari (Sikkim): four High Court Judges – Justice B. V. Nagarathna (Karnataka), Justice M.M. Sundresh (Madras), Justice C.T. Ravikumar (Kerala) and Justice Bela M. Trivedi (Gujarat), and Senior Advocate P.S. Narasimha.
The judges will take oath on August 31. Justice B. V. Nagarathna is in line to become the first woman Chief Justice of India.
The Supreme Court Collegium, comprising Chief Justice N.V. Ramana and Justices U.U. Lalit, A.M. Khanwilkar, D.Y. Chandrachud, and L. Nageswara Rao, had recommended nine names for elevation to the Supreme Court on August 19.
The top court is currently functioning with 24 judges against a sanctioned strength of 34, including the CJI. Once the nine new judges assume their respective charge, the working strength of the top court will reach 33, leaving one vacant post.
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Due to the stalemate with the government, the Collegium had failed to recommend any names for appointment of judges to the Supreme Court after August 28, 2019, when it had made the last recommendations.
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