Two HC CJs proposed for elevation to SC

The Supreme Court Collegium headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi on Friday recommended the elevation of Jharkhand High Court chief justice Aniruddha Bose and Gauhati High Court chief justice A S Bopanna as judges of the top court.

If the recommendations get cleared, the number of judges in the Supreme Court would rise from 27 to 29, against the sanctioned strength of 31.

Justice Bose originally hails from Calcutta High Court while Justice Bopanna from Karnataka High Court. The five-judge Collegium, also comprising Justices S A Bobde, N V Ramana, Arun Mishra and R F Nariman, took the decision.

Various factors including merit and integrity, combined seniority on all-India basis of Chief Justices, senior puisne Judges of High Courts, are considered before the list is made. Justice Bose stood at serial number 12 and Justice Bopanna at 36 in the combined seniority of High Court judges on all-India basis.

Justice Bopanna would be the third judge in the Supreme Court from Karnataka High Court after Justices Mohan M Shantanagoudar and S Abdul Nazeer. He was appointed as a judge of the Karnataka High Court on January 6, 2006 and was elevated as Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court on October 29, 2018.

Justice Bose was appointed as a judge of the Calcutta High Court on January 19, 2004 and was elevated as Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court on August 11, 2018.