Supreme Court Collegium Clears Name Of Nine Judges For Elevation, 3 Women Judges In The List

The Collegium suggested names of 3 women judges- Justice B V Nagarathna of the Karnataka HC; Justice Hima Kohli, Chief Justice of the Telangana HC; and Justice Bela Trivedi of the Gujarat HC.

New Delhi: As the Supreme Court Collegium led by Chief Justice of India N V Ramana recommended nine names to the government for appointment as judges to the top court, one of the three women judges in the list if elevated can become the first woman CJI in 2027.

According to the Indian Express report, the Collegium suggested names of three women judges including Justice B V Nagarathna of the Karnataka High Court; Justice Hima Kohli, Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court; and Justice Bela Trivedi of the Gujarat High Court – for elevation to the Supreme Court.

In view of this recommendation, Justice Nagarathna could become the first woman Chief Justice of India. It will be a historic moment in the chapter of India's judiciary.  The suggestion comes after Justice Rohinton Nariman retired from the Supreme Court.

Which other judges have been recommended?

The other names include Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Abhay Oka, Tripura High Court Chief Justice Akil Kureshi along with Justices Vikram Nath and J K Maheshwari – the Chief Justices of the Gujarat and Sikkim High Courts respectively.  

Of the other recommendations, Justice C T Ravikumar, the second most senior judge of the Kerala High Court, and Justice M M Sundaresh, the third most senior judge of the Madras High Court, have been recommended by the five members of the Collegium, as per the Indian Express sources.

Among the judges recommended, Justice Oka is the most senior high court judge and known for his rulings on civil liberties. In the Covid-19 pandemic, Justice Oka, whose parent high court is the Bombay High Court, cleared orders ralted to migrant workers besides questioning the government’s handling of the pandemic.