Justice BV Nagarathna, poised to be India’s first woman Chief Justice of India, will formally join the Supreme Court Collegium on May 25, following the retirement of Justice Abhay S. Oka.
New Collegium Line-Up
With Justice Oka’s departure, the 5-member Collegium will comprise:
- Chief Justice of India Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai
- Justices Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, and J.K. Maheshwari
- Justice BV Nagarathna
CJI Gavai is expected to convene the first Collegium meeting early next week to address three current vacancies in the Supreme Court and consider appointments across various high courts.
Collegium’s Role
Established by a 1993 Supreme Court ruling, the Collegium system empowers the five seniormost judges to recommend appointments, transfers, and elevations to the Supreme Court and 25 high courts. The government may return recommendations for reconsideration but typically approves reiterated proposals.
Justice Nagarathna’s Judicial Journey
Born October 30, 1962, to former CJI E.S. Venkataramiah, Nagarathna enrolled as an advocate on October 28, 1987, in Bengaluru. She practised constitutional, commercial, insurance, and service law before her elevation as an Additional Judge of the Karnataka High Court on February 18, 2008, and her confirmation as a permanent judge on February 17, 2010.
As the fifth-senior judge, she will serve on the Collegium until her retirement on October 29, 2027, and is slated to assume the office of CJI for a brief stint from September 24 to October 29, 2027—marking a historic first for the apex court.
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