SC Back To Full Strength As Two Judges Take Oath Of Office, After Government Appoints In Record Time

Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud on Friday (19 May) swore in Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and K V Viswanathan, restoring the court to its full capacity of 34 judges.

Mishra and Viswanathan take over for retired Justices Maheshwari and Shah.

In addition, on 19 May, Justices K M Joseph, Ajay Rastogi, and V Ramasubramanian bid farewell to the Supreme Court as they are retiring during the summer vacation in June.

The court is set to reopen on 2 July.

The government swiftly approved the appointments after they were recommended by the Collegium to the Supreme Court on 16 May.

The new Law Minister, Arjun Ram Meghwal, assumed office on 18 May, the same day the government published the notifications for the appointments.

The government approved the two names recommended by the collegium within 48 hours — a refreshing break from the occasional months-long wait.

Justice Viswanathan is in line to become the 58th Chief Justice of India in August 2030, succeeding Justice J B Pardiwala.

Being only the ninth lawyer to be elevated directly to the Supreme Court bench, if appointed as Chief Justice, he would become the fourth direct appointee from the Bar to hold the top judge position.

Former Andhra Pradesh High Court chief justice Mishra's appointment to the Supreme Court has given Chhattisgarh representation on the bench.

Two more justices, including the number two judge, will retire from the Supreme Court in 2023, Justice S Ravindra Bhat in October and Justice Kaul in December.