SC Collegium recommends 3 women judges among 9 names, India could get first woman CJI

The Supreme Court Collegium headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) N V Ramana has recommended nine names, including three women judges for appointment as judges in the top court.

The three women judges recommended by the SC Collegium are Justice B V Nagarathna of Karnataka HC, Justice Hima Kohli of Telangana HC, and Justice Bela M Trivedi of Gujarat HC.

Of the three women judges, Justice B V Nagarathna of Karnataka HC could become the first woman Chief Justice of India (CJI) in 2027 if SC Collegium’s recommendations of names are considered by the Union Government.

The SC Collegium consisting of 5 senior-most judges, has been led by the Chief Justice of India N V Ramana, Justice Uday Umesh Lalit, Justice Dr Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, Justice A M Khanwilkar, and Justice L Nageswara Rao.

Former Additional Solicitor General P S Narasimha has been selected by the Collegium for direct appointment from the Bar. Among other names recommended are Justices Abhay Shreeniwas Oka (Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court), Jitendra Kumar Maheshwari (Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court), Vikram Nath (Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court), M M Sundersh (also a judge in Kerala High Court), and C T Ravi Kumar (a judge in Kerala High Court).

Justice B V Nagarathna of Karnataka HC

•Justice B V Nagarathna of Karnataka High Court could become the next and first woman Chief Justice of India (CJI) in 2027 if SC Collegium’s recommendations of names are considered by the Union Government.

•Justice Nagarathna is currently a Judge in the Karnataka High Court. She began as a lawyer in 1987 in Bengaluru practicing in constitutional law and commercial law including administrative and public law, arbitration and conciliation, land and rent laws, insurance law, family law, conveyancing & drafting of contracts and agreements, etc.

•In February 2008, she got appointed as an additional judge in the Karnataka High Court. Later in 2010, she became a permanent judge.

•Justice Nagarathna’s father ES Venkataramiah was the Chief Justice of India for 6 months in 1989.

•In 2012, Justice Nagarathna ruled that regulation of electronic media is needed thereby emphasizing curbing sensationalism of news through ‘Breaking News’, ‘Flash News’, or any other way of sensationalized presentations.

•In 2019, Justice Nagarathna ruled that a temple employee will be entitled to gratuity benefits under the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowment Act and not under the Payments of Gratuity Act deeming that a temple is not a ‘commercial establishment’.

Justice Hima Kohli of Telangana HC

•Justice Hima Kohli of Telangana High Court is the first woman Chief Justice of the state. She was sworn in as the Chief Justice of Telangana HC on January 7, 2021.

•Earlier, she was serving as a Judge of the Delhi High Court. In 2006, Justice Kohli was appointed as an Additional Judge on the Delhi High Court, and later in 2007, she was made a permanent Judge on the Delhi HC.

•Justice Kohli had enrolled with the Bar Council of Delhi in 1984. She has served as a legal advisor to many Delhi and Central government bodies such as the National Co-operative Development Corporation, the National Agricultural Co-operative Marketing Federation of India, and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee.

•In 2020, a judicial committee formed to monitor Delhi Government’s response during the COVID-19 pandemic was led by Justice Kohli.

Justice Bela M Trivedi of Gujarat HC

•Justice Bela Trivedi has been serving as a Judge of the Gujarat High Court since February 9, 2016.

•Earlier from February 2011 to June 2011, Justice Trivedi served as the Additional Judge of the Gujarat HC. Before getting transferred to Gujarat HC, Justice Trivedi was serving as an Additional Judge of the Rajasthan High Court.

•Justice Trivedi has been a member of the General Council of Gujarat National Law University.