Justice Joymalya Bagchi elevated to Supreme Court judge by Centre

The Centre has approved the elevation of Justice Joymalya Bagchi, a sitting judge of the Calcutta High Court, to the Supreme Court of India, following the recommendation made by the Supreme Court Collegium.

The announcement was made on Monday by the Union Minister for Law and Justice, confirming that the President of India has appointed Justice Bagchi as a Supreme Court judge under Article 124(2) of the Constitution. His appointment will take effect once he assumes office.

The Supreme Court Collegium, in its meeting on March 6, recommended Justice Bagchi’s name, considering his seniority and extensive judicial experience. The Collegium also noted that the Calcutta High Court currently has only one representation in the Supreme Court Bench, making Justice Bagchi’s elevation significant.

Having served in the judiciary for over 13 years, Justice Bagchi was appointed as a judge of the Calcutta High Court in June 2011. He was transferred to the Andhra Pradesh High Court in 2021 but later repatriated to Calcutta High Court in the same year, where he has been serving since.

As per the official notification, Justice Bagchi would have a tenure of over six years at the apex court and will be in line to assume the office of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) after the retirement of Justice K.V. Viswanathan in May 2031. If elevated, he would serve as the CJI until his retirement on October 2, 2031.

His appointment also marks a potential historic moment for the Calcutta High Court, which has not had a Chief Justice of India since the retirement of Justice Altamas Kabir in 2013.

Justice Bagchi’s elevation is seen as a step towards increasing regional representation in the Supreme Court, ensuring a balanced judiciary from across India.

(This story was taken from syndicated feed and was only edited for style by Gujarat Samachar Digital team)