New Delhi: Justices BR Gavai and Surya Kant have joined the collegium as new members, which is responsible for recommending names to the Center for the appointment of Supreme Court judges. They have joined in place of the recent retirement of Justices KM Joseph and Ajay Rastogi during the summer break.
The other members of the 5-member collegium are Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, and Justice Sanjiv Khanna. It is worth noting that Justices Khanna, Gavai, and Kant are potential future Chief Justices of India. According to seniority, Justice Sanjiv Khanna is next in line to succeed CJI DY Chandrachud as the Chief Justice of India on November 24. Justices Gavai and Surya Kant are in line to succeed Justice Khanna.
The recommendations for High Courts are made by a 3-member collegium consisting of the CJI and the next two senior judges. Justice Sanjiv Khanna has joined the 3-member collegium following the retirement of Justice KM Joseph. Justice Kaul, the second most senior member of the collegium, is set to retire on December 25 this year.
The Supreme Court currently has 31 judges out of the sanctioned strength of 34, and there will be more vacancies this year as Justices Krishna Murari, S Ravindra Bhat, and SK Kaul are scheduled to retire in 2023.
The Supreme Court will resume its sessions on July 3 after the summer break, and a new work roster for the judges has been published earlier this week.
