New Delhi: Nine judges, including two whose names were reiterated by the Supreme Court collegium, were on Thursday appointed to five high courts.
The Department of Justice in the Law Ministry tweeted that six of the nine new judges are advocates and the remaining three are judicial officers.
Advocates Rahul Bharti and Moksha Khajuria Kazmi have been appointed as additional judges of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court. Their names were returned by the government to the SC collegium in July-August last year with a request to reconsider the recommendations. The collegium had reiterated its recommendations later last year.
While the apex court collegium had first recommended Kazmi's name as judge of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court in October, 2019, Bharti's name was recommended in March last year.
Among those appointed also include judicial officers Poonam A Bamba and Swarna Kanta Sharma. They have been made judges of the Delhi High Court.
While two advocates have been appointed as judges of the Patna High Court, a judicial officer has been appointed as an additional judge of the Allahabad High Court.
Two advocates were appointed as additional judges of the Madras High Court.
In a written reply in Rajya Sabha on Thursday, the government said as on March 16, against the sanctioned strength of 1104 judges in the 25 high courts, 699 judges are in position, leaving 405 vacancies.
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