Calcutta HC Justice Joymalya Bagchi to be sworn in as SC judge on March 17

Justice Joymalya Bagchi, a judge of the Calcutta High Court, will on Monday be sworn in as a Supreme Court judge.

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna will administer the oath of office to Justice Bagchi in the presence of other Supreme Court judges at a ceremony on the apex court premises. 

Once Justice Bagchi takes oath, the Supreme Court will have 33 judges against its sanctioned strength of 34.

Justice Bagchi will have a tenure of more than six years in the top court, during which he will also serve as the CJI.

Born on October 3, 1966, Justice Bagchi will assume the office of CJI upon the retirement of Justice KV Viswanathan on May 25, 2031. His tenure will last till his retirement on October 2, 2031.

Justice Bagchi's name was cleared by the central government on March 10 for appointment as a Supreme Court judge.

On March 6, a five-member collegium headed by CJI Khanna recommended his name for Supreme Court judgeship.

The collegium -- also comprising Justice BR Gavai, Justice Surya Kant, Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Vikram Nath -- noted that no Calcutta High Court judge had risen to become the CJI since the retirement of Justice Altamas Kabir on July 18, 2013.

Justice Bagchi was appointed a judge in the Calcutta High Court on June 27, 2011. He was transferred to the Andhra Pradesh High Court on January 4, 2021.

He was repatriated to the Calcutta High Court on November 8, 2021, and had been functioning there since then.

He has served as a high court judge for more than 13 years and stands at serial number 11 in the combined all-India seniority of high court judges, including chief justices.

During his long tenure, Justice Bagchi acquired significant experience in diverse fields of law.