सीजेआई सूर्य कांत ने नई सुप्रीम कोर्ट ब्लॉक में तीन न्यायाधीशों को शपथ दिलाई, सदन की कार्यशक्ति 37 तक पहुंची

IndiaCJI Surya Kant administers oath to three new judges, judges' count now 37 in SC

Justices Sunita Agarwal, Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Aparesh Kumar Singh took the oath in the auditorium of the new Supreme Court block on Tuesday.

NEW DELHI: Chief Justice Surya Kant on Tuesday administered the oath of office to three new judges elevated to the Supreme Court, taking its working strength to 37, one short of the sanctioned strength of 38.

Justices Sunita Agarwal, Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Aparesh Kumar Singh took the oath in the auditorium of the new Supreme Court block on Tuesday.

All the Supreme Court judges, judicial officers and officials from different state high courts, along with other dignitaries, were present to witness the occasion.

On Monday, ending weeks of speculation, the Central government notified the elevation of the three Chief Justices of High Courts to the Supreme Court.

On September 28, the SC Collegium, the apex body solely responsible for the appointment and transfer of judges -- had recommended the three names for appointment as judges of the top court.

The SC Collegium, headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant and comprising Justices Vikram Nath, J K Maheshwari, B V Nagarathna and Augustine George Masih, had taken the decision and recommended their elevation to the top court after due deliberation.

The appointments were cleared on Monday by President Droupadi Murmu after the file was forwarded by the Ministry of Law and Justice following due verification.

Justice Agarwal, born on April 30, 1966, enrolled as an advocate in 1990 and was elevated as an Additional Judge of the Allahabad High Court in 2011. She became a permanent judge in 2013 and was appointed Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court in July 2023. She is known for her judgments on service law, education and constitutional matters, especially women's rights.

She will become the second woman Chief Justice of India if the seniority rule is strictly followed, after Justice Nagarathna, and will have a tenure of over two years as CJI in 2032.

Justice Upadhyaya, born on June 16, 1965, was elevated as an Additional Judge of the Allahabad High Court in 2011 and became Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court in 2023 before being transferred as Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court earlier this year. He is considered an expert in constitutional and administrative law and Centre-state disputes.

Justice Singh, born on July 7, 1965, was elevated as a judge of the Jharkhand High Court in 2012 and became Chief Justice of the Tripura High Court in 2023 and then Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court. He hails from a family of lawyers and is known for his humane approach.

The Collegium resolution had noted that the appointments were being made keeping in mind seniority, merit, integrity, regional diversity and the need for adequate representation from the Allahabad and Jharkhand parent High Courts.

Justice Agarwal will be the sixth woman judge to be elevated to the Supreme Court ever, and the number of women judges at the top court has now risen to three.

Their elevation is also significant as all three High Courts, Gujarat, Delhi and Telangana will now get new Chief Justices, for which the Collegium has already started the process and interviews are underway.

The Law Ministry notification said the appointments would take effect from the date they assume charge of their respective offices.

The New Indian Express

www.newindianexpress.com

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