Five New Judges Strengthen Supreme Court Bench

Five New Judges Strengthen Supreme Court Bench

Why in the News ?

The Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant administered the oath of office to five newly appointed judges of the Supreme Court of India, following the Centre’s approval of their appointments and the recent expansion of the Court’s sanctioned strength.

Five New Judges Strengthen Supreme Court Bench

Appointment of Five New Supreme Court Judges

  • CJI Surya Kant administered the oath to Justices Sheel Nagu, Shree Chandrashekhar, Sanjeev Sachdeva, Arun Palli, and senior advocate V. Mohana.
  • Their appointments were approved by the Union Government based on recommendations made by the Supreme Court Collegium during meetings held on May 22 and May 27, 2026.
  • The newly appointed judges include four serving Chief Justices of High Courts and one distinguished senior advocate.
  • Union Minister for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal announced that the appointments were made by the President of India after consultation with the Chief Justice of India.
  • The appointments are expected to strengthen the apex court’s capacity to handle the growing workload and reduce case pendency.

Significance of Expanded Supreme Court Strength

  • The oath ceremony follows the promulgation of the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance, 2026.
  • The ordinance increased the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court from 34 to 38 judges, including the Chief Justice of India.
  • The expansion aims to improve judicial efficiency and address the rising number of pending cases.
  • Increasing the number of judges can facilitate faster disposal of matters and improve access to justice.
  • The move reflects ongoing efforts to strengthen India’s judicial infrastructure and institutional capacity.

About Supreme Court of India :

●  The Supreme Court of India is established under Article 124 of the Constitution.

●  It is the highest constitutional court and the final court of appeal in India.

●  Judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the President of India after consultation as per the Collegium System.

●  A Supreme Court judge retires at the age of 65 years.

●  The Court exercises Original, Appellate, Advisory, Review, and Writ Jurisdiction.

●  The Collegium System consists of the Chief Justice of India and the four senior-most Supreme Court judges for judicial appointments and transfers.

●  The Court has developed robust environmental jurisprudence through landmark judgments, including the Vanashakti judgment, which addressed issues of ex post facto environmental clearances and retrospective environmental clearances.

●  The Supreme Court upholds principles of environmental democracy and ensures compliance with the Forest Conservation Act, EIA Notification, and regulations governing environmental clearance processes.

●  Through its writ jurisdiction, the Court enforces the polluter pays principle and precautionary principle, protecting citizens’ right to a pollution free environment.

●  The Court reviews matters related to environmental impact assessment, coastal regulation zone violations, and grants of post facto or ex-post clearances in environmental cases.