Supreme Court Gets 5 New Judges as Centre Clears Key Appointments

The Centre has approved the appointment of five new judges to the Supreme Court, including four High Court Chief Justices and Senior Advocate V Mohana, significantly strengthening the country's highest court. The appointments were announced by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal on X.

The appointments come shortly after the Centre increased the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court from 34 to 38 judges through an ordinance. With the addition of the five new judges, 37 of the 38 sanctioned positions in the apex court are now filled. NEET-UG 2026 Paper Leak Case: PM Narendra Modi Monitoring Paper Issue, Centre Tells Supreme Court.

Five New Judges Elevated to Supreme Court

In exercise of the power conferred by clause (2) of Article 124 of the Constitution of India, the President of India, after consultation with Chief Justice of India, is pleased to appoint the following as Judges of the Supreme Court of India. I convey my best wishes to them:- pic.twitter.com/WxHaRYWF6p

— Arjun Ram Meghwal (@arjunrammeghwal) June 1, 2026

The newly appointed judges are Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court; Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court; Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court; Justice Arun Palli, Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh; and Senior Advocate V Mohana.

The appointments follow recommendations made last week by the Supreme Court Collegium headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant. Supreme Court Clears Vinesh Phogat for Asian Games Trials, Upholds Delhi High Court Order.

Justice Sheel Nagu

Before his elevation, Justice Sheel Nagu served as Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, with the Madhya Pradesh High Court as his parent court.

Born on January 1, 1965, he enrolled as an advocate in 1987 and primarily practised in civil, constitutional and service law matters. He was appointed an additional judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in 2011 and became a permanent judge in 2013.

Justice Nagu later served as Acting Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court before becoming Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in July 2024.

During his judicial career, he delivered several notable rulings on environmental issues, privacy and personal liberty. He was also a member of the in-house inquiry committee that examined the cash-at-residence controversy involving Justice Yashwant Varma.

Justice Nagu is scheduled to retire on December 31, 2029.

Justice Shree Chandrashekhar

Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, currently serving as Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court, traces his judicial career to the Jharkhand High Court.

Born in Ranchi on May 25, 1965, he graduated from the Campus Law Centre of Delhi University and enrolled with the Delhi Bar Council in 1993. He was elevated as an additional judge of the Jharkhand High Court in 2013 and became a permanent judge the following year.

After serving as Acting Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court, he was transferred to the Rajasthan High Court before becoming Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court in September 2025.

Justice Chandrashekhar was also a member of the Parliamentary Judges Inquiry Committee that examined allegations against Justice Yashwant Varma.

His benches have handled several high-profile matters, including the Sohrabuddin Shaikh fake encounter case, the Malegaon blasts case and litigation related to the Versova–Bhayandar coastal road project.

His appointment also gives Jharkhand representation in the Supreme Court. He is due to retire on May 24, 2030.

Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva

Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva has been serving as Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court and is originally from the Delhi High Court.

Born on December 26, 1964, he studied at Sri Ram College of Commerce and Campus Law Centre, Delhi University. He became an Advocate-on-Record in the Supreme Court in 1995 and was designated a Senior Advocate by the Delhi High Court in 2011.

He was appointed as an additional judge of the Delhi High Court in 2013 and became a permanent judge in 2015. After being transferred to the Madhya Pradesh High Court in 2024, he took oath as its Chief Justice in July 2025.

Justice Sachdeva previously served as standing counsel for the Bar Council of India for more than two decades and chaired a National Court Management Systems sub-committee on judicial human resource development.

He will serve for approximately three-and-a-half years in the Supreme Court.

Justice Arun Palli

Justice Arun Palli, Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, has been elevated from the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Born in Patiala on September 18, 1964, he graduated in law from Panjab University in 1988 and built a legal practice before the Punjab and Haryana High Court. He also served as Additional Advocate General for Punjab between 2004 and 2007 and was designated a Senior Advocate in 2007.

Justice Palli became a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2013 and took oath as Chief Justice of the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court in April 2025.

He also served as Executive Chairman of the Haryana State Legal Services Authority and was involved in mediation and Lok Adalat initiatives aimed at reducing case backlogs.

He is expected to serve for slightly more than three years in the Supreme Court.

V Mohana Becomes Second Woman Directly Elevated From Bar

Senior Advocate V Mohana's appointment is particularly notable as she becomes only the second woman in India's history to be directly elevated from the Bar to the Supreme Court, after Justice Indu Malhotra in 2018.

Her elevation will also make her the 12th woman judge in the history of the Supreme Court. Along with Justice BV Nagarathna, she will be one of only two sitting women judges on the apex court bench.

Born in Coimbatore on June 27, 1966, Mohana graduated from Coimbatore Law College in 1988. She trained under Senior Advocate CS Vaidyanathan, became an Advocate-on-Record in 1996 and was designated a Senior Advocate by the Supreme Court in 2015.

She has appeared in several significant cases, including those involving permanent commission for women officers in the armed forces, senior citizens' property rights and the Karnataka hijab ban. Because she is being elevated directly from the Bar, she will have a relatively long tenure in the Supreme Court and is set to retire in June 2031.

The appointments come at a significant time for the judiciary, with the Supreme Court's sanctioned strength recently increased to 38 judges. Following the latest appointments, only one position in the apex court remains vacant. The move is expected to strengthen the court's capacity to handle its growing caseload while ensuring broader regional and professional representation on the bench.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 01, 2026 09:15 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).