Supreme Court Collegium recommends four HC judges, woman advocate to top court, Pg12

Key Highlights:

• The Supreme Court Collegium, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, recommended five new judges on May 22 and 27.
• The recommendations include four High Court Chief Justices and one woman senior advocate.
• V. Mohana, a senior advocate, is recommended, potentially ending a five-year gap in appointing women judges.
• The recommended Chief Justices are from the High Courts of Punjab and Haryana, Bombay, Madhya Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
• The appointments aim to address regional and gender representation within the Supreme Court.

Detailed Insights:

• The Supreme Court Collegium is responsible for recommending appointments and transfers of judges in the higher judiciary.
• V. Mohana has been a leading counsel in cases that address gender inequalities for women officers in the armed forces.
• The current Supreme Court has only one woman judge, Justice B.V. Nagarathna, who is also a member of the Collegium.
• The recommendations reflect an effort to ensure diverse representation, considering the parent High Courts of the nominees.
• The increase in the total strength of judges in the Supreme Court to 38 has created additional vacancies to fill.
• The court will face further vacancies with the upcoming retirement of Justices J.K. Maheshwari and Justice Pankaj Mithal in June.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Collegium System: The system by which judges are appointed and transferred in the higher judiciary.
• High Court: The principal civil court of original jurisdiction in the state.
• Supreme Court: The highest judicial body in India, with the power of judicial review.