Justice Bagchi appointed as SC judge, set to be CJI in 2031
His appointment fills one of the two vacancies in the Supreme Court, which has a sanctioned strength of 34 judges
The Union government on Monday appointed justice Joymalya Bagchi as a judge of the Supreme Court, following the recommendation made by the Supreme Court collegium three days ago. Union law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal announced the elevation of the Calcutta high court judge on X.
With this elevation, justice Bagchi is set to become the Chief Justice of India (CJI) in May 2031, albeit for a little over four months, before retiring on October 2, 2031. His appointment fills one of the two vacancies in the Supreme Court, which has a sanctioned strength of 34 judges.
The Supreme Court collegium, comprising Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and justices Bhushan R Gavai, Surya Kant, Abhay S Oka and Vikram Nath, had recommended Justice Bagchi’s appointment on March 6. While assessing candidates, the collegium considered his merit, integrity, and judicial competence, along with factors such as regional representation and seniority. Justice Bagchi is ranked 11th in the combined all-India seniority of high court judges, including chief justices.
Justice Bagchi was appointed as a judge of the Calcutta high court in June 2011. In January 2021, he was transferred to the Andhra Pradesh high court, before being repatriated to the Calcutta high court in November 2021. Over his 13-year tenure as a high court judge, he has gained extensive experience across diverse fields of law.
The collegium’s resolution also noted that since the retirement of justice Altamas Kabir as CJI in 2013, no judge from the Calcutta high court has been appointed to the country’s top judicial position. Upon the retirement of justice KV Viswanathan on May 25, 2031, justice Bagchi will be in line to assume the role of CJI and would hold that position until his retirement on October 2, 2031.
Furthermore, the collegium noted that currently, only one judge from the Calcutta high court — justice Dipankar Datta, is serving on the Supreme Court bench.
Justice Bagchi’s appointment helps bolster the Supreme Court bench, which had been functioning with 32 judges against the sanctioned 34. His expertise in civil, criminal, and constitutional law is expected to contribute significantly to the court’s functioning in the coming years.
