India Supreme Court gets five new judges
CJI says court acts as defender of fundamental rights
New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India on Saturday cleared the appointments of five new Judges. The Supreme Court collegium had recommended their names in December for elevation from High Courts to the Apex court. After the new appointments, the working strength of the Supreme Court increased to 32.
On the appointment, Law and Justice Minister Kiren Rijiju extended best wishes to all newly appointed judges.
The judges elevated to the Supreme Court are Justices Pankaj Mithal (Rajasthan High Court Chief Justice), Sanjay Karol (Patna High Court Chief Justice), PV Sanjay Kumar (Manipur High Court Chief Justice), Ahsanuddin Amanullah (Patna High Court judge), and Manoj Misra (Allahabad High Court Judge).
Attorney General R Venkataramani on Friday apprised the top court that the Central Government will soon clear the name of the five judges recommended by the Supreme Court collegium in December for elevation from High Courts to the top court.
AG R Venkataramani submission came in response to the court’s queries regarding the status of the pending recommendations.
The Supreme Court earlier expressed its concern on the issue of keeping the list of the transfers of judges of the high courts pending with the Centre and warned that delay in transfers might lead to administrative actions which may not be palatable.
Court acts as protector & defender of fundamental rights and liberties: CJI
The Chief Justice of India (CJI), D.Y. Chandrachud said on Saturday that for the court, there are no big and small cases - every matter is important, and the court has sought to use the language of the Constitution to humanise law and act as the protector and defender of fundamental rights and liberties.
Addressing a programme to mark the 73rd anniversary of the establishment of the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice said: “If we peruse the history of this court, we realise that the history of the Supreme Court is the history of the daily life struggles of the Indian people.”
Citing the daily case mentioning list, he stressed that through these requests, one can sense the pulse of the nation.
“Above all, the message in this uniquely citizen-centric initiative is an assurance that the court exists to protect our citizens from injustice, their liberties are as precious to us and that the judges work in close connect with the citizens,” he said.
Chandrachud emphasised that for the court, there are no big or small cases, as every matter is important, and because it is in the seemingly small and routine matters involving grievances of citizens that issues of constitutional and jurisprudential importance emerge.
“In attending to such grievances, the court performs a plain constitutional duty, obligation and function,” he said, adding that the Supreme Court serves the world’s most populous democracy and is in true aspect a ‘people’s court’ because it is a collective heritage of the citizens of India.
The apex court came into existence on January 28, 1950, two days after India became a Republic on January 26.