The Supreme Court has shared new details about the judges appointed to high courts between November 9, 2022, and May 5, 2025. This information was published on their website just days before Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna retires on May 14. The data includes the names of candidates, their genders, caste backgrounds, minority statuses, and whether they are related to any current or former judges.
Out of 406 candidates recommended during this time, the government approved 221 appointments. The other candidates either have pending applications or were rejected. It’s noteworthy that only 34 of the 406 recommended judges are women, with leaders from various communities: eight from Scheduled Castes (SC), seven from Scheduled Tribes (ST), and 32 from Other Backward Classes (OBC). Additionally, 14 candidates have family ties to judges.
Between November 2022 and November 2024, the collegium recommended 170 judges, with 17 still waiting for approval from the government. During Chief Justice Khanna’s time from November 2024 to now, 51 names were suggested, and 12 of those are still pending. In this period, there has been better representation with 11 OBCs, two STs, one SC, eight from minority groups, six women, and two with family ties to judges.
The court also explained how these appointments work, detailing the roles of high court collegiums, state governments, and the Union government. An updated version of the Memorandum of Procedure is available for the public to see.
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