SC collegium recommends to Centre 4 names for elevation as apex court judges

The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended to the Centre names of four high court chief justices for elevation as apex court judges, which will take its strength to full 34, sanctioned recently by the government.

The collegium, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, said the apex court is presently functioning with 30 judges, against the sanctioned judge-strength of 34, leaving four clear vacancies.

It has decided to recommend the names of Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Krishna Murari, Rajasthan High Court Chief Justice S Ravindra Bhat, Himachal Pradesh High Court Chief Justice V Ramasubramanian and Kerala High Court Chief Justice Hrishikesh Roy for their elevation.

"The Collegium has extensively deliberated and discussed names of Chief Justices and senior puisne High Court Judges eligible for appointment as Judges of the Supreme Court and has resolved to fill up all the four existing vacancies," the collegium, also comprising justices S A Bobde, N V Ramana, Arun Mishra and R F Nariman said.

"The Collegium, therefore, unanimously resolves to recommend that Justice Krishna Murari, Justice S Ravindra Bhat, Justice V Ramasubramanian, and Justice Hrishikesh Roy, be appointed as Judges in the Supreme Court of India," it said.

The collegium said that while recommending the names Justices Murari, Bhat, Ramasubramanian and Roy, it has taken into consideration combined seniority on all-India basis of Chief Justices and senior puisne Judges of High Courts, apart from their competence, conduct and integrity.

"The Collegium has also kept in mind the desirability of giving due representation on the Bench of the Supreme Court, as far as possible, to all the High Courts. The Collegium is also conscious of the fact that some High Courts are going to be unrepresented in the Supreme Court," it said.

The appointment of these four judges in the apex court would take its strength to 34, the highest so far.

Recently, Parliament has increased the number of judges in the apex court from 31, including the CJI, to 34.