Collegium Recommends Five Judges as Court Expands to 38

The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended the elevation of five individuals as judges of the apex court, a move that will help fill vacancies following a recent expansion of the court's sanctioned strength. The recommendations were made during Collegium meetings held on May 22 and May 27.

The proposed names include four sitting Chief Justices: Sheel Nagu of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Shree Chandrashekhar of the Bombay High Court, Sanjeev Sachdeva of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, and Arun Palli of the High Court of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. The Collegium also recommended senior advocate V. Mohana for elevation.

These recommendations come shortly after the government increased the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges. An ordinance promulgated earlier this month amended the Supreme Court Number of Judges Act, 1956, raising the total number of judges from 34 to 38, including the Chief Justice of India. The court currently has 32 judges. Officials stated the expansion aims to address the growing pendency of cases and ensure faster delivery of justice. A bill to convert the ordinance into law is expected to be introduced in the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament.