Traditionally, new judges take the oath of office in the CJI’s courtroom, but due to that Covid pandemic, the swearing-in ceremony would be held in the auditorium of the Supreme Court.
New Delhi: Nine new justices, including three women, were sworn in as Supreme Court on Tuesday by Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana. With this, the strength of the Supreme Court reached 33, including the CJI, out of the sanctioned strength of 34.
It is the first time that nine judges have been sworn in together in the history of the highest court. Traditionally, new judges are sworn in in the CJI courtroom, but due to this Covid pandemic, the swearing-in ceremony would take place in the auditorium of the Supreme Court’s additional building complex.
Last week, after India’s Chief Justice NV Ramana refused to accept the government’s request to reconsider some names, the Indian government reportedly approved the nine names recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium for appointment as judges of the Supreme Court.
The nine names appointed by the College of the Supreme Court include four Chief Justices of the High Court – Vikram Nath (Gujarat), AS Oka (Karnataka), Hima Kohli (Telangana), and JK Maheshwari (Sikkim) – four judges of the Upper Court Judges BV Nagarathna (Karnataka), MM Sundresh (Madras), CT Ravikumar (Kerala) and Bela M Trivedi (Gujarat), and lead counsel PS Narasimha.
Three of these nine judges, Judge Vikram Nath and Judge BV Nagarathna, and Judge PS Narasimha, are well on their way to becoming the Chief Justice of India. There is a good chance that one of the three female judges on the list will become the first female CJI in 2027.
