Justices Kotiswar Singh, R. Mahadevan proposed for elevation to Supreme Court [12.7.2024]

The five-member Supreme Court Collegium headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud on July 11 recommended Justice N. Kotiswar Singh and Madras High Court Acting Chief Justice R. Mahadevan for appointment as apex court judges.

If the recommendation comes through, Justice Singh would be the first judge from Manipur, a State which has witnessed traumatic months of ethnic violence, to be elevated to the Supreme Court.

“Mr Justice N. Kotiswar Singh originally hails from Manipur… His (Justice Singh) appointment as a Judge of the Supreme Court will provide representation to the North-East, and in particular he will be the first Judge from the State of Manipur to be appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court,” the Collegium highlighted to the government in its resolution on July 11.

Justice Singh is currently the Chief Justice of the High Court for Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. He was due to retire on February 28, 2025.

The Collegium said Justice Mahadevan was “eminently suitable” for appointment as a Supreme Court judge. It said Justice Mahadevan, who belongs to a backward community from Tamil Nadu, would bring diversity to the Supreme Court Bench.

“The Collegium has taken due note of the fact that Mr. Justice R. Mahadevan ranks third in the order of presently serving judges of the Madras High Court including the judges who have been posted as Chief Justices outside the Madras High Court. At this stage, the Collegium has given precedence to the candidature of Mr. Justice R. Mahadevan in order to give representation to the backward community,” the resolution explained.

The two recommendations were made to fill up the vacancies following the retirement of Justice Aniruddha Bose on April 10 and Justice AS Bopanna on May 19.

The other judges on the Collegium are Justices Sanjiv Khanna, B.R. Gavai, Surya Kant and Hrishikesh Roy.

12 Jul 2024