Supreme Court Collegium Recommends Five Names for Elevation to Apex Court

New Delhi, May 2026 : The Supreme Court Collegium on Wednesday recommended the elevation of four Chief Justices of various High Courts and one senior advocate as judges of the Supreme Court, in a significant move aimed at strengthening the apex judiciary amid rising case pendency.

In a statement uploaded on the official website of the Supreme Court, the Collegium said that the recommendations were finalised during meetings held on May 22 and May 27.

The five names recommended for appointment as judges of the Supreme Court 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 Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court; and senior advocate V. Mohana.

The recommendations come at a time when the Centre has initiated steps to increase the sanctioned strength of judges in the Supreme Court to address the growing backlog of cases and ensure quicker delivery of justice.

Justice Sheel Nagu, whose parent High Court is the Madhya Pradesh High Court, was elevated as a judge in May 2011. He assumed office as the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in July 2024.

Justice Shree Chandrashekhar began his judicial career in the Jharkhand High Court, where he was elevated as a judge in January 2013. He later took over as the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court in January 2025.

Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Delhi High Court in April 2013 and became a permanent judge in March 2015. He was elevated as the Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court in July 2025.

Justice Arun Palli was appointed as a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in December 2013. He later became the Chief Justice of the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court in April 2025.

Senior advocate V. Mohana, who has also been recommended for elevation, has been practising extensively before the Supreme Court and is known for handling constitutional, civil and service-related matters.

The latest recommendations are expected to further strengthen the apex court following the Centre’s recent decision to expand the sanctioned strength of Supreme Court judges.

Earlier this month, President Droupadi Murmu promulgated the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Ordinance, 2026, increasing the sanctioned strength of judges in the apex court from 33 to 37, excluding the Chief Justice of India.

The ordinance followed the Union Cabinet’s approval to amend the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, with the objective of improving judicial efficiency and reducing delays in disposal of cases.

The proposed appointments are now expected to be processed by the Centre before the judges formally take oath as Supreme Court judges.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)