New Delhi: The central government has appointed Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, Chief Justice High Court of Telangana and Justice S Venkatanarayana Bhatti, Chief Justice High Court of Kerala, as Supreme Court judges.
Announcing the same, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said in a tweet: “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 2 Chief Justices of High Courts as Judges of the Supreme Court of India -- of Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, Chief Justice High Court of Telangana and Justice S Venkatanarayana Bhatti, Chief Justice High Court of Kerala”.
On July 5, the apex court collegium had recommended the elevation of Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, Chief Justice High Court of Telangana and Justice S Venkatanarayana Bhatti, Chief Justice High Court of Kerala, as judges to the apex court. The collegium headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said, “After carefully evaluating the merit, integrity and competence of eligible Chief Justices and senior puisne Judges of the High Courts and also accommodating a plurality of considerations, the Collegium finds the following persons to be deserving and suitable in all respects for being appointed as Judges of the Supreme Court of India:
i. Mr Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, Chief Justice, High Court for the State of Telangana, (PHC: Gauhati)
ii. Mr Justice S Venkatanarayana Bhatti, Chief Justice, High Court of Kerala, (PHC: Andhra Pradesh)”.
The collegium also comprises justices S K Kaul, Sanjiv Khanna, B R Gavai and Surya Kant. According to the resolution published on the apex court website, the Collegium deliberated on and discussed the names of Chief Justices and senior puisne Judges of the High Courts eligible for appointment to the Supreme Court.
“Judgments authored by those falling in the zone of consideration for elevation to the Supreme Court were circulated among the members of the Collegium, well in advance, for a meaningful discussion on and assessment of their judicial acumen. The Centre for Research & Planning of the Supreme Court has prepared a compilation of relevant background material to assist the Collegium”, said the resolution.
The collegium considered the following aspects while recommending judges of the high court to the apex court: “a. The seniority of Chief Justices and senior puisne Judges in their respective parent High Courts as well as overall seniority of the High Court Judges;
b. The merit, performance and integrity of the judges under consideration; and
c. The need to ensure diversity and inclusion in the Supreme Court by:
(i) representation of High Courts which are not represented or are inadequately represented, in the Supreme Court;
(ii) appointment of persons from marginalized and backward segments of society;
(iii) gender diversity; and
(iv) representation of minorities”.
Justice Ujjal Bhuyan was appointed as a judge of the Gauhati High Court on 17 October 2011. He is the senior-most judge of his parent High Court and is presently serving as Chief Justice of the High Court for the State of Telangana since 28 June 2022. Justice Bhuyan has served as a judge of the Gauhati High Court and as Chief Justice of High Court for the State of Telangana. During his long tenure as a judge of the High Court, Justice Bhuyan has acquired significant experience in diverse fields of law.
Justice S Venkatanarayana Bhatti was appointed as a Judge of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh on 12 April 2013 and is the senior- most in his parent High Court. The High Court of Andhra Pradesh does not have any representation on the Bench of the Supreme Court since August 2022. He was transferred to the High Court of Kerala in March 2019 and is presently serving as Chief Justice there since 01 June 2023. During his long tenure as a judge of the High Court of Andhra High Pradesh and as a Judge and subsequently, as Chief Justice of the High Court of Kerala, Justice Bhatti has acquired considerable experience in various branches of law.
