The Union government has notified the appointment of five new judges to the Supreme Court, including four high court chief justices and senior advocate V Mohana. The appointments come four days after the Supreme Court collegium recommended their elevation, paving the way for one of the most significant rounds of appointments to the top court in recent years.
The five appointees are expected to be sworn in as judges of the Supreme Court on Tuesday, taking the apex court's strength to 36 judges, apart from the Chief Justice of India. The latest appointments will balance regional representation, judicial seniority, merit, and gender diversity in the composition of the apex court.
Among the newly appointed judges, Justice Sheel Nagu currently heads the Punjab and Haryana High Court, while Justice Shree Chandrashekhar has been the chief justice of the Bombay High Court. Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva was originally a judge of the Delhi High Court and recently appointed chief justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court. Justice Arun Palli presently heads the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court.
The appointment of senior advocate V Mohana assumes particular significance as it will add another woman judge to the Supreme Court, which currently has only one woman judge. Mohana graduated from Coimbatore Law College in 1988 and began independent practice in the Supreme Court, Delhi High Court, and other forums.
The present round of appointments comes at a crucial juncture for the apex court, which is not only adjusting to its expanded strength but is also facing a series of impending retirements. The appointments are expected to stabilise the court's working strength during the tenure of CJI Surya Kant, who himself demits office in February 2027.
