Centre Notifies Appointment of 2 Judges: SC to regain full strength

New Delhi: The Supreme Court is set to regain its sanctioned strength as the Union government has notified the appointment of two judges – Justice N Kotiswar Singh and Justice R Mahadevan. This comes days after the Supreme Court Collegium on July 11 recommended the appointment of the two judges. In a post on X on Tuesday, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal made the announcement, saying, “In exercise of the powers conferred by the Constitution of India, the Hon’ble President, after consultation with the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India, is pleased to appoint the following as Supreme Court Judges: Justice N Kotiswar Singh and Justice R Mahadevan.”

While Justice N Kotiswar Singh was serving as Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, Justice R Mahadevan was the acting Chief Justice at the Madras High Court. After the swearing-in of the two judges, the Supreme Court will function with its full strength of 34, including the Chief Justice of India.

The two judges, elevated to the Supreme Court, have had distinguished careers. Justice Singh, who has become the first judge from Manipur to be appointed to the top court, was designated a senior advocate by the Gauhati High Court in 2008. Later, in 2011, he was sworn in as an additional judge of the Gauhati High Court, and in 2012, Justice Singh was made a permanent judge.

Upon the creation of the Manipur High Court in 2013, Justice Singh was appointed a judge in the north-eastern state. He was later transferred to the Gauhati High Court in 2018 before being elevated as the Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in February 2023.

On the other hand, Justice R Mahadevan, who has been serving as Acting Chief Justice of the Madras High Court since May 2024, started his legal practice in 1989. After completing his law degree at Madras Law College, he practiced on the civil, criminal and writ sides with specialisation in indirect taxes, customs and Central Excise matters for 25 years.

Justice Mahadevan has the distinction of conducting more than 9,000 cases while serving as the Additional Government Pleader (Taxes) for the Government of Tamil Nadu, and Additional Central Government Standing Counsel and Senior Panel Counsel for the Government of India at the Madras High Court. Later, in 2013, he was appointed as a judge at the Madras High Court.