President appoints two new judges in Supreme Court

Telangana Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Kerala Chief Justice S. Venkatanarayana Bhatti have been appointed as judges of the Supreme Court by the President. These appointments were made shortly after the Supreme Court Collegium, headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, recommended their names to the government.

Overview of the news

The two new appointments increase the judicial strength of the apex court to 33, leaving only one vacancy. Justice Bhuyan, appointed as a judge of the Gauhati High Court on October 17, 2011, had been serving as the Chief Justice of Telangana since June 28 last year.
Justice Bhatti was appointed as a judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court on April 12, 2013. The Collegium had explained its choice of Justice Bhatti, saying the High Court of Andhra Pradesh did not have any representation on the Bench of the Supreme Court since August 2022.
Justice Bhatti was transferred to the High Court of Kerala in March 2019. He had been serving as Chief Justice there since June 1, 2023.
The Collegium had noted that Justice Bhatti’s judgments dealt with a myriad range of issues from multiple branches of law, and “stand testimony to his legal acumen and competence”.

Experience of Justice Bhatti

Justice Bhatti was appointed as a judge of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh on April 12, 2013 and is the senior-most in his parent High Court.
He was transferred to the Kerala High Court in March 2019 and is presently serving as Chief Justice there since June 1, 2023.

Experience of Justice Bhuyan

Justice Bhuyan is currently serving as the Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court while Justice Bhatti is the Chief Justice of Kerala High Court.
Justice Bhuyan’s parent High Court is the Gauhati High Court.
He was appointed as a judge of the Gauhati High Court on October 17, 2011.
He is the senior-most judge of his parent High Court and has been serving as Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court since June 28, 2022.

What Is Supreme Court Collegium System In India?

What is a Collegium System and How Did It Evolve?

The Collegium System of Supreme Court is one of the very important topics in understanding the appointment of the Supreme Court judges and the judicial system. It is the system of appointment and transfer of judges that has evolved through judgments of the SC, and not by an Act of Parliament or by a provision of the Constitution.

Who heads the Collegium System?

The Collegium System of Supreme Court is headed by the CJI (Chief Justice of India) and comprises four other senior most judges of the court. A High Court collegium is led by the incumbent Chief Justice and two other senior most judges of that court. Judges of the higher judiciary are appointed only through the collegium system and the government has a role only after names have been decided by the collegium.

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