Collegium recommends new SC judges; all three men, one from a minority community

The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended the names of the Chief Justice of Delhi High Court Satish Chandra Sharma, the Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court Augustine George Masih and the Chief Justice of Assam High Court Sandeep Mehta as judges of the Supreme Court.

ON Monday, the Supreme Court Collegium recommended the names of the Chief Justice of Delhi High Court Satish Chandra Sharma, the Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court Augustine George Masih and the Chief Justice of Assam High Court Sandeep Mehta as judges of the Supreme Court.

A five-Judge collegium comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dr D.Y. Chandrachud and Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, B.R. Gavai and Surya Kant inked a decision to this effect.

Justice Sharma was appointed as a judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on January 18, 2008. He was elevated as the Chief Justice of the high court for Telangana on October 11, 2021 and thereafter transferred to Delhi High Court June 28, 2022.

Justice Sharma is the second-most senior judge in the combined all-India seniority list of high court judges. He is also the senior-most judge hailing from the Madhya Pradesh High Court.

While recommending his name, the collegium said that it is aware of the fact that at present, the Bench of the Supreme Court is represented by one judge from the Madhya Pradesh High Court. If appointed as judge of the Supreme Court, he would retire on November 29, 2026.

Justice Masih was appointed as a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on July 10, 2008. He was elevated as the Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court on May 30, 2023.

Justice Masih stands at serial no. 7 in the combined all-India seniority of high court judges. He is the senior-most judge hailing from the Punjab and Haryana High Court. He belongs to a minority community.

While recommending his name, the collegium was conscious of the fact that at present, the Bench of the Supreme Court is represented by two judges from the Punjab and Haryana High Court. If appointed as judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Masih would retire on March 11, 2028.

Justice Mehta was appointed as a judge of the Rajasthan High Court on May 30, 2011. The Rajasthan High Court, which is his parent high court, is a large high court which does not have representation on the Bench of the Supreme Court.

Justice Mehta stands at serial no. 23 in the combined all-India seniority of high court judges. He is the senior-most judge of the Rajasthan High Court. If appointed as judge of the Supreme Court, he would retire on January 10, 2028.