A total of five additional judges – four from the Allahabad High Court and one from the Gauhati High Court – have been recommended to be appointed as permanent judges by the Supreme Court Collegium.

The three seniormost judges of the apex court has recommended Justices Ashok Kumar, Vivek Chaudhary, Saumitra Dayal Singh, and Akhilesh Chandra Sharma to be made permanent judges of the Allahabad High Court.

Should the Centre give its assent to this recommendation, the High Court will have a working strength of 65 permanent judges and 38 additional judges, as against a sanction strength of 76 and 84 judges respectively.

Justice Songkhupchung Serto has been recommended as a permanent judge of the Gauhati High Court. Justice Serto’s principal High Court is the Manipur High Court. The resolution states,

“It is needless to clarify that Mr. Justice Songkhupchung Serto would continue to function in Gauhati High Court.”

It was also revealed that the Collegium is reviewing a proposal sent by the Department of Justice calling for transfer of judges to the Manipur High Court, in view of its shortage of judges. Presently, only two judges are serving at the High Court, which has a sanctioned strength of five judges.

The same will be considered by the full Collegium of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and the four seniormost judges of the Supreme Court.

Read the resolutions: