SC bench now at full strength of 34 as three judges take oath

On November 6, the 5-member Collegium presided by the CJI recommended Justice Sharma, who was Chief Justice (CJ) of the Delhi HC; Justice Masih, who was CJ of Rajasthan HC, and Justice Mehta, the CJ of Gauhati HC, for elevation to the SC, which were cleared by the government on November 8.

Justice Sharma took oath as Delhi HC CJ on June 28, 2022. He was elevated as an Additional Judge of the HC in 2008, and became a Permanent Judge on January 15, 2010. “The judgments authored by him… stand testimony to his legal acumen and competence,” the Collegium said.

Justice Masih took oath as CJ of the Rajasthan HC on May 30, 2023. He was sworn in as Additional Judge of Punjab & Haryana HC on July 10, 2008 and as a Permanent Judge on January 14, 2011.

Stating that Justice Masih “belongs to a minority community”, the Collegium resolution said that “the Collegium is aware of the fact that at present, the Bench of the Supreme Court is represented by 2 judges from the Punjab & Haryana High Court”.

Justice Mehta was elevated as the Additional Judge of the Rajasthan HC on May 30, 2011. He became a permanent Judge on February 6, 2013 and took oath as the CJ of the Gauhati HC on February 15, 2023. Recommending his name, the Collegium noted that his parent HC, Rajasthan, “is a large High Court which does not have representation” on the SC Bench.