Supreme Court Welcomes Five New Judges: What This Means for India's Judiciary

New Appointments Strengthen the Supreme Court

New Delhi: On Monday, the Supreme Court announced the appointment of five new judges, bringing its total to 37, just one short of the newly sanctioned limit of 38 judges.

The Union law ministry issued notifications confirming the appointments of senior advocate Venkita Subramani Mohana, Justice Shree Chandrashekhar (Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court), Justice Sheel Nagu (Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court), Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva (Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court), and Justice Arun Palli (Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court).

Once these judges take their oaths, the Supreme Court will officially consist of 37 judges.

Last month, the government enacted an ordinance to amend existing laws, raising the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court from 34 to 38, including the Chief Justice of India.

With two vacancies already present, the increase in sanctioned strength resulted in a total of six vacant positions within the court.

Following the recent appointments, there remains one vacancy in the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court Collegium had recommended these five names on May 27, and the appointments were finalized within four days.