CJ HIMA KOHLI IN LIST FOR SC POST
Reports on deliberations on selection upsets CJI
New Delhi: Telangana Chief Justice Hima Kohli is among the nine recommended by the SC Collegium headed by Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana for appointment as SC judges.
● THE COLLEGIUM has recommended nine names, including 3 woman judges, to Centre for appointment as SC judges. Justice B.V. Nagarathna, if cleared, will become first woman Chief Justice of India.
The Supreme Court collegium has recommended the names of four Chief Justices of High Courts and a practising senior lawyer of Supreme Court for elevation as judges of the top court.
The collegium has recommended the elevation of the Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court A.S. Oka, Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court Vikram Nath, Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court J.K. Maheshwari, and Chief Justice of Telangana High Court Hima Kohli.
Besides the Chief Justices of four High Courts, the collegium has recommended the names of Justice B.V. Nagarathna, Justice C.T. Ravikumar, Justice M.M. Sundresh and Justice Bela M. Trivedi — judges of Karnataka, Kerala, Madras and Gujarat High Court respectively.
The obvious casualty is the Chief Justice of Tripura High Court Akil Kureshi who is perceived to be at the receiving end of the ruling establishment.
Justice B.V. Nagarathna, if cleared, will go on to become first woman Chief Justice of India – though for a brief period.
Incumbent Chief Justice N.V. Ramana will be succeeded by Justice Uday Umesh Lalit (tenure from Aug. 2022 — Nov. 2022), Justice D.Y. Chandrachud (tenure from Nov. 2022 — Nov. 2024), Justice Sanjiv Khanna (tenure from Nov. 2024 — May 2025), Justice B.R. Gavai (tenure: May 2025 - Nov. 2025), Justice Surya Kant (tenure: Nov. 2025 - Feb. 2027), Justice Vikram Nath (tenure: Feb. 2027- Sept. 2027) and Justice B.V. Nagarathna (tenure: Sept. 2027 - Oct. 2027).
If all the names recommended by the top court collegium are cleared by the government, then the top court will have four women judges.
At present the top court has just one woman judge, Justice Indira Banerjee. Other three judges will be Justice Hima Kohli, Justice B.V. Nagarathna, and Justice Bela M. Trivedi.
The collegium has also recommended the appointment of senior lawyer P.S. Narasimha as the top court judge. The recommendation of Narasimha for appointment as top court judges is continuation of initiative taken by former Chief Justice R.M. Lodha who had recommended the names of then senior lawyers Gopal Subramanium, L. Nageswara Rao, Rohinton Fali Nariman and Uday Umesh Lalit for appointment as top court judges.
Another top court practising lawyer Indu Malhotra was appointed as judge of the top court.
Earlier in the morning, Chief Justice N.V. Ramana had expressed anguish over the “speculative” reports in a section of the media about the top court collegium’s recommendations.
Venting his displeasure over the “speculative” media reports, CJI said, “Today’s reflections in some sections of the media, pending the process, even before formalising the resolution is counter-productive. There were instances of deserving career progression of bright talents getting marred because of such irresponsible reporting and speculation. This is very unfortunate and I am extremely upset about it.”