The Supreme Court has recommended 68 names to the Union government for elevation as judges in 12 High Courts, reported Live Law on Saturday. This is the first time the court has cleared so many names in one go in an attempt to fill in vacancies in High Courts.
There are 465 vacancies for judges in 25 High Courts against the sanctioned strength of 1,098, as of September 1, reported The Indian Express.
A three-member collegium led by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana recommended 16 names for Allahabad High Court, eight for Kerala, seven for Rajasthan, five each for Jharkhand and Gauhati, four each for Punjab and Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir and Madras, two each for Chhattisgarh and Karnataka and one for Madhya Pradesh.
Of the 68 names proposed, 44 are of advocates and 24 judicial officers. The central government needs to approve the names for their elevation as judges.
Ten of the total names recommended are women. Among the 10 women recommended is Marli Vankung, a female judicial officer belonging to Scheduled Tribe, reported NDTV. If elevated to the Gauhati High Court, she will be the first-ever High Court judge from Mizoram.
The collegium has recommended the names of nine advocates and three judicial officers which were earlier returned by Union Ministry of Law and Justice to the Supreme Court for reconsideration.
The collegium had considered the names during two meetings held on August 25 and September 1.
The recommendations for High Court judges came after the collegium proposed on August 17 nine names for elevation to the Supreme Court. After the names were cleared by the government, they took oath on August 31.
Of the nine judges, Justice Nagarathna could become the first woman Chief Justice of India in 2027.
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