The Union Government approved the appointment of five new Supreme Court judges Senior Advocate V. Mohana, Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, Justice Sheel Nagu, Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Arun Palli following Collegium recommendations, strengthening the apex court and addressing judicial vacancies to ensure efficient administration of justice across the country.
NEW DELHI: The Union Ministry of Law and Justice approved the appointment of five new judges to the Supreme Court of India, further strengthening the strength of the country’s highest constitutional court. The appointments come following the recommendation of the Supreme Court Collegium and are aimed at addressing vacancies in the apex court while ensuring the continued efficient administration of justice.
The newly appointed judges are Senior Advocate V Mohana, Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, Justice Sheel Nagu, Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, and Justice Arun Palli. The appointments were formally approved and Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal announced the development on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday morning.
Judges Elevated to the Supreme Court
Among those elevated is Senior Advocate V Mohana. Mohana belonged to the first-ever batch of India’s five-year integrated law programme introduced after higher secondary education. She graduated in 1988 from Coimbatore Law College, now known as Government Law College, Coimbatore.
At the time, the institution functioned from rented premises and operated with limited infrastructure. Facilities were modest, classrooms were few, and the number of women students pursuing legal education remained comparatively low. Despite these challenges, Mohana actively participated not only in academics but also in extracurricular activities such as debates, theatre performances and public speaking competitions.
During her student years, she reportedly balanced her studies with financial responsibilities by taking tuition classes while residing in a working women’s hostel under strict schedules and disciplined routines.
At a time when structured internships and corporate legal training were not common, Mohana chose to learn the practical aspects of law from the ground level. During her final year in law college, she joined the chambers of senior civil lawyer M. Panchapakesan in Coimbatore to gain firsthand courtroom experience.
There, she was trained through traditional methods of legal practice. Her work included maintaining case diaries, taking dictation, preparing pleadings, drafting documents and closely observing court proceedings. She later reflected that repeatedly rewriting plaints and written statements by hand became an invaluable exercise that sharpened her drafting skills and deepened her understanding of legal procedure.
After completing her degree, she continued working under Panchapakesan’s mentorship. The early years of her practice were marked by long working hours, rigorous preparation and the challenge of building confidence in what was then a heavily male-dominated legal environment.
Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, who was serving as the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court, has also been elevated to the apex court. Prior to leading the Bombay High Court, he served as a judge of the Jharkhand High Court and was known for delivering several important judgments involving constitutional governance, public administration, and criminal justice.
Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, is another member of the new batch of Supreme Court judges. Before assuming the office of Chief Justice, he served for several years as a judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court and developed expertise across diverse areas of law.
Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, who presently serves as the Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, has also been elevated. He was earlier a judge of the Delhi High Court, where he handled a broad spectrum of matters including constitutional disputes, civil litigation, service law, and criminal appeals.
Justice Arun Palli, Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, completes the list of newly appointed Supreme Court judges. Justice Palli previously served as a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and has been associated with several significant rulings involving constitutional and administrative law issues.
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The appointments follow recommendations made by the Supreme Court Collegium, the body responsible for recommending appointments and transfers of judges to the higher judiciary. Headed by the Chief Justice of India, the Collegium evaluates factors such as judicial merit, integrity, seniority, regional representation, and overall suitability before forwarding names to the Central Government for approval.
The elevation of the five judges is expected to enhance the Supreme Court’s capacity to deal with its growing docket of cases. The apex court regularly hears matters involving constitutional interpretation, fundamental rights, disputes between governments, commercial litigation, criminal appeals, and issues of national importance.
The appointments assume significance at a time when the judiciary is facing increasing pressure from a large volume of pending cases across courts in the country. Filling vacancies in the Supreme Court is viewed as a crucial step towards improving judicial efficiency and reducing delays in the disposal of cases. The newly appointed judges bring with them decades of experience from different High Courts across India, ensuring diverse regional and judicial representation on the Supreme Court Bench.
With these appointments, the Supreme Court moves closer to its sanctioned strength, reinforcing its ability to discharge its constitutional responsibilities and maintain the effective administration of justice across the country.
