The Supreme Court gets four new judges as the President Ramnath Kovind on Wednesday cleared their appointments to take the strength of the apex court to 31. It is after a long time that the SC will work at the full sanctioned strength.

The new appointees are Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai, Judge, Bombay High Court and Justice Surya Kant, Chief Justice, Himachal Pradesh High Court, Jharkand Chief Justice  Anirudha Bose and Gauhati High Court Chief Justice AS Bopanna. The names of the Justice Gavai and Justice Suryakant were recommended to the president by the collegium nearly three weeks ago along with which it has also reiterated its decision to recommend that the last  two named for elevation as Supreme Court judges. The government had on May 7  returned the the proposals forwarded by the collegium for elevation of Justice Bose and A S Bopanna as SC judges. The Centre has reportedly sought the reconsideration of the recommendation to maintain the principle of proper regional representation. It was on April 12 that the SC Collegium of CJI Ranjan Gogoi, and Justices S A Bobde, N V Ramana, R F Nariman and Arun Mishra made the recommendation for their elevation.

But two days later the Collegium proposed reconsideration of their names. “The Collegium is of the view that… though inter-seniority amongst Judges in their High Courts and their combined seniority on all-India basis should be given due weightage, merit should be the predominant consideration. The Collegium accordingly kept in mind these parameters while recommending the above two names.In view of the above, on due consideration of all the aspects mentioned in the file, the Collegium resolves to reiterate the afore-mentioned recommendation dated 12th April, 2019, especially since nothing adverse regarding competence, conduct or integrity of Mr. Justices (1) Aniruddha Bose, and (2) A.S. Bopanna, has been pointed out,”.

–India Legal Bureau