Supreme Court Strengthened as Five New Judges Take Oath, Bringing Apex Court Closer to Full Capacity

In a significant development aimed at addressing the judicial workload at the highest level, five newly appointed judges were sworn in at the Supreme Court of India on Tuesday. The ceremony marks a key step toward achieving the court’s full sanctioned strength of 38 judges, including the Chief Justice of India.

Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant administered the oath of office to the new appointees Justice Sheel Nagu, Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, Justice Arun Palli, and Senior Advocate V. Mohana during a formal event held at the Supreme Court premises.

The Central Government had notified their appointments on the previous day, following recommendations from the Supreme Court Collegium during its meetings on May 22 and May 27.

Among the new judges are four serving Chief Justices of various High Courts. Justice Sheel Nagu, whose parent High Court is Madhya Pradesh, was the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, parent High Court Jharkhand, served as Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court. Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, parent High Court Delhi, was Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court. Justice Arun Palli, parent High Court Punjab and Haryana, held the position of Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.

The fifth appointee, Senior Advocate V. Mohana, who has been practicing before the Supreme Court, becomes one of the few lawyers to receive direct elevation to the apex bench. Her appointment is particularly noteworthy as it enhances gender representation on the Supreme Court. Prior to her joining, Justice BV Nagarathna remained the sole woman judge on the bench, with no further appointments of women judges since August 2021.

ALSO READ : Supreme Court Quashes CCI’s ₹202 Crore Penalty On Amazon In Future Coupons Case

The Supreme Court’s sanctioned strength was recently raised to 38 judges through an ordinance issued by the President, an increase of four positions. Before Tuesday’s swearing-in, the court was operating with 32 judges. The addition of these five members brings the court nearer to its full complement.

However, two vacancies are anticipated later this month with the retirements of Justice JK Maheshwari and Justice Pankaj Mithal.

This round of elevations is expected to bolster the Supreme Court’s capacity to handle its extensive caseload more effectively in the coming period.