Courts across India struggle under huge piles of pending cases. One big reason for this delay is the shortage of judges on the bench. In a key step toward filling these empty chairs, the Supreme Court Collegium has recommended nine advocates to become judges of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
Nine Lawyers Recommended For Judicial Robes
The decision came during a meeting of the Supreme Court Collegium on October 29. The panel cleared the names of nine advocates to elevate them from the Bar directly to the bench.
The recommended lawyers include:
- Vishal Sharma
- Vikram Kumar Sharma
- Namgyal Wangchuk
- Pawan Kumar Kundal
- Tahir Majid Shamsi
- Tabasum Zafar
- Amit Gupta
- Pranav Kohli
- Anupam Raina
These advocates bring years of courtroom experience across diverse areas of law. Their elevation aims to bolster judicial strength in the union territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
How The Recommendation Process Started
This decision did not happen in a vacuum. It follows an initial proposal initiated by the High Court Collegium itself.
Headed by Chief Justice Arun Palli, the High Court Collegium had earlier forwarded eleven names for consideration in April. That proposal included ten advocates from the Bar quota and one judicial officer from the service quota.
After reviewing these names, the Supreme Court Collegium cleared nine of the recommended advocates. This step forms a core part of an ongoing effort to fill vacancies in the High Court, whose sanctioned judicial strength was expanded from 17 to 25 judges in November 2024.
What The Law Says: Article 217 And High Court Appointments
How does an advocate become a High Court judge in India? The answer lies in the Constitution of India.
Under Article 217 of the Constitution, every High Court judge is formally appointed by the President of India. To qualify, a candidate must be an Indian citizen and must have held a judicial office for at least ten years or practiced as an advocate in a High Court for at least ten years.
While the text of Article 217 specifies consultation with the Chief Justice of India, the Governor of the State, and the Chief Justice of the High Court, decades of Supreme Court rulings have shaped this into the Collegium system.
Under this mechanism, the judiciary initiates judicial appointments. A High Court collegium recommends names to the Supreme Court Collegium. The Supreme Court Collegium, headed by the Chief Justice of India and senior judges, vets the background, integrity, and judicial competence of each nominee before sending cleared names to the Central Government.
What Happens Next In The Process?
A Collegium recommendation is not an instant appointment letter. There are critical administrative and constitutional steps that follow.
First, the Supreme Court Collegium forwards these nine cleared names to the Union Ministry of Law and Justice. The central executive reviews the files alongside inputs from intelligence and background checks.
Once the Central Government clears the recommendations, the files go to the President of India. The President signs the warrants of appointment under Article 217. Only after the Union Government issues a formal notification and the appointees take their official oath of office do they formally take their seats as High Court judges.
Why This Matters For You
Appointments to constitutional courts affect everyday citizens directly. When courts run short of judges, hearings get pushed back by months or even years. Ordinary people waiting for bail, property disputes, or constitutional remedies face costly delays.
With the sanctioned strength of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh raised to 25, adding nine seasoned practitioners will significantly improve the court’s daily working capacity. More working judges mean quicker disposals, shorter waiting times, and faster access to justice for ordinary citizens.
Filling judicial benches is not just administrative paperwork; it is a vital constitutional necessity that keeps the wheels of justice turning smoothly.
Story reported by Supreme Court – High Court – Legal Breaking News | Live Law India. This article is BareLaw’s independent explanation and analysis.
📲 Get every BareLaw story on Telegram — simple legal news, 5 times a day, free: t.me/barelaw
