President appoints two new judges in Supreme Court: The President has appointed Telangana Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Kerala Chief Justice S. Venkatanarayana Bhatti to the Supreme Court. These appointments were made shortly after the Supreme Court Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, recommended their names to the government.
Daily Current Affairs Quiz: July 2023
Overview of the news
- The two new appointments increase the judicial strength of the apex court to 33, leaving only one vacancy. Justice Bhuyan, who was appointed to the Gauhati High Court on October 17, 2011, had been the Chief Justice of Telangana since June 28 of last year.
- Justice Bhatti was appointed as a judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court on April 12, 2013. The Collegium justified its selection of Justice Bhatti by stating that the High Court of Andhra Pradesh had not had any representation on the Supreme Court Bench since August 2022.
- Justice Bhatti was transferred to the High Court of Kerala in March 2019. He had been serving as Chief Justice there since June 1, 2023.
- The Collegium had noted that Justice Bhatti’s judgments dealt with a myriad range of issues from multiple branches of law, and “stand testimony to his legal acumen and competence”.
Experience of Justice Mishra
- Justice Bhatti was appointed to the Andhra Pradesh High Court on April 12, 2013 and is the senior-most judge in his parent High Court.
- He was transferred to the Kerala High Court in March 2019 and is presently serving as Chief Justice there since June 1, 2023.
Experience of Justice Viswanathan
Justice Bhuyan is currently serving as the Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court while Justice Bhatti is the Chief Justice of Kerala High Court. Justice Bhuyan’s parent High Court is the Gauhati High Court. On October 17, 2011, he was appointed as a judge of the Gauhati High Court. He is the most senior judge on his parent High Court and has been Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court since June 28, 2022.
What is a Collegium System and How Did It Evolve?
The Collegium System of Supreme Court is one of the very important topics in understanding the appointment of the Supreme Court judges and the judicial system. It is the system of appointment and transfer of judges that has evolved through judgments of the SC, and not by an Act of Parliament or by a provision of the Constitution.
Who heads the Collegium System?
The Supreme Court’s Collegium System is led by the CJI (Chief Justice of India) and includes four of the court’s most senior judges. A High Court collegium is led by the current Chief Justice and two other of the court’s most senior judges. Judges of the higher judiciary are appointed only through the collegium system and the government has a role only after names have been decided by the collegium.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Supreme Court of India HQ: New Delhi;
- Supreme Court of India Established: 26 January 1950.