9 Judges, Including 3 Women, Appointed To Supreme Court, Oath On Tuesday

The President today approved all nine names, including three women, recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium and accepted by the government for appointment as judges of the top court.

The judges will take oath on August 31.

Justice BV Nagarathna, of the Karnataka High Court, is in line to become the first woman Chief Justice of India - a milestone in the nation's history.

PS Narasimha, among the judges for the Supreme Court elevation, is also in line to become the Chief Justice, the third lawyer from the bar to occupy the top post.

File photo of PS Narasimha

Justice SM Sikri was the first lawyer to be elevated directly to the Supreme Court bench in March 1964. He became the Chief Justice of India in 1971.

Justice UU Lalit, who was elevated directly from a lawyer to a Supreme Court judge, is set to become Chief Justice after NV Ramana retires next year in August.

The Supreme Court, which has 25 judges against a sanctioned strength of 34, will be left with only one vacancy after the new judges are sworn in.

It is probably the first time that nine names have been recommended for the Supreme Court and all have been approved by the government.

Among the names are eight judges and one lawyer from the Supreme Court Bar.

They are Karnataka High Court Chief Justice AS Oka; Gujarat High Court Chief Justice Vikram Nath; Sikkim Chief Justice JK Maheshwari; Telangana Chief Justice Hima Kohli; Justice BV Nagarathna of the Karnataka High Court; Kerala High Court Judge, Justice CT Ravikumar; Madras High Court Judge, Justice MM Sundresh; Gujarat High Court Judge Justice Bela M Trivedi; and Senior Advocate PS Narasimha.