Nine judges, including two whose names had to be reiterated by the Supreme Court collegium after the Centre had initially objected, were appointed to five High Courts on Thursday.
A statement issued by the Department of Justice in the Law Ministry said six of the new judges were advocates while the remaining three were judicial officers.
Advocates Rahul Bharti and Moksha Khajuria Kazmi have been appointed additional judges of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court. Their names were returned by the government to the collegium in July-August last year with a request to reconsider the recommendations. However, the collegium reiterated its recommendations later last year.
While the apex court collegium had first recommended Ms. Kazmi’s name as judge of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court in October 2019, Mr. Bharti’s name was proposed in March last year.
Among those appointed also include judicial officers Poonam A Bamba and Swarna Kanta Sharma, who have been made judges of the Delhi High Court.
Two advocates have been appointed judges of the Patna High Court and a judicial officer has been appointed additional judge of the Allahabad High Court.
Two advocates, Nidumolo Mala and S. Sounthar, have been appointed additional judges of the Madras High Court.
In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, the government said that as on March 16, there were 405 vacancies against the sanctioned strength of 1,104 judges in the 25 High Courts.
