Guj HC judge, Gauhati chief justice recommended for SC
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court collegium, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana, on Thursday cleared two names for appointment as judges in the top court, in a move that would take the strength of the top court to its maximum. Gauhati high court chief justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Gujarat high court judge justice Jamshed Burjor Pardiwala have been recommended for elevation to the apex court.
The decision of the collegium could also ensure the highest number of sitting judges in the top court since November 2019 when the Supreme Court worked with the full sanctioned strength of 34 judges.
The Supreme Court collegium, which comprises CJI 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 top court, including justice BV Nagarathna from the Karnataka HC, who would go on to become the country’s first woman CJI 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 -- the highest ever.
The latest recommendation of justice Dhulia will make him the second judge to be elevated from the Uttarakhand HC, while justice Pardiwala will be the fourth member of the Parsi community to adorn the Supreme Court bench. The last elevation of a judge from a minority community happened in February 2017 when justice S Abdul Nazeer was elevated. Justice Nariman, who retired in August 2021, was the last Parsi judge in the Supreme Court.
Justice Pardiwala is in line to become the CJI 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. CJI Ramana is due to demit office on August 26, and is likely to be succeeded by the second seniormost judge, Justice Lalit.