For a few months now, top court will work with full strength of 34 judges
Ten days after the Collegium recommended their names, Justices Rajesh Bindal and Aravind Kumar were appointed judges of the Supreme Court.
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In a Twitter post Friday, Union Minister for Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju said, “As per the provisions under the Constitution of India, Hon’ble President of India has appointed the following Chief Justices of High Courts as Judges of the Supreme Court. My best to them: 1. Rajesh Bindal, Chief Justice, Allahabad HC; 2. Aravind Kumar, Chief Justice, Gujarat HC.”
Their names were recommended by the Collegium on January 31.
A judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Justice Bindal was Acting Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court before he was appointed Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court in October 2021. As a judge of the Supreme Court, he will have a tenure until April 15, 2025.
Justice Kumar, a judge of the Karnataka High Court, was Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court. He will have a tenure until July 13, 2026.
On February 4, three days after the Collegium recommended Justices Bindal and Kumar for appointment as judges of the Supreme Court, the government cleared five earlier recommendations that had been pending since December 13 last year.
With the two latest appointments, the Supreme Court now has 34 judges – its full strength.
But the Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, has its task cut out as eight judges are set to retire this year.
Justices Dinesh Maheshwari and M R Shah will retire on May 14 and May 15, respectively. Justices K M Joseph and Ajay Rastogi will retire on June 16 and June 17, respectively.
