SC gets five new judges; strength to go up to 37

Five new judges were on Monday appointed to the Supreme Court, which will now have 37 judges, one short of the upgraded sanctioned strength of 38.

According to separate notifications issued by the department of justice in the Union law ministry on Monday morning, senior SC advocate Venkita Subramani Mohana, Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, Chief Justice of Bombay High Court, Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court, Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court, and Justice Arun Palli, Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court have been elevated as top court judges.

Once they take oath and assume charge, the SC will formally have 37 judges.

The Government last month promulgated an ordinance amending a law to increase the sanctioned strength of the apex court to 38 from 34, including the Chief Justice of India.

While there were already two vacancies, after the sanctioned strength was increased, altogether six posts became vacant in the apex court.

With five appointments on Monday, the Supreme Court has one vacancy.

The five names were recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium on May 27 and the appointments came through in four days.