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Two new judge appointments bring Supreme Court to Full Bench Strength of 34 judges | Current Affairs | Vision IAS
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Two new judge appointments bring Supreme Court to Full Bench Strength of 34 judges

Posted 30 Aug 2025

2 min read

The process of appointing a judge of the Supreme Court is governed by the Collegium system, which was established through a series of Supreme Court judgments. 

About Collegium 

  • It is a system for making recommendations for appointment of judges of SC and HC.
  • Judges are appointed by the President under Article 124 and 217 (respectively for SC and HC) of the Constitution.
  • For appointment in SC: Collegium consists of CJI and four other senior-most judges of the SC.
  • For appointment in HC: Collegium at SC consists of CJI and two seniormost Judges of the SC.

Evolution of the Collegium System in India

  • Pre-1980s: Prior to the 1980s, judicial appointments were primarily under the control of the executive branch. The President appointed judges in consultation with the Chief Justice of India (CJI).
  • First Judges Case (1981): The Supreme Court ruled that the 'consultation' with the CJI was not equivalent to 'concurrence'. 
    • Giving primacy to the executive in judicial appointments.
  • Second Judges Case (1993): The court declared that 'consultation' meant 'concurrence,' which gave birth to the Collegium system. Initially, the Collegium consisted of the CJI and two of the senior-most judges.
  • Third Judges Case (1998): The Supreme Court expanded the Collegium to include the CJI and the four senior-most judges.
  • Fourth Judges Case (2015): The Supreme Court struck down the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) and the 99th Constitutional Amendment Act, deeming them unconstitutional. As a result, the Collegium system was restored.
  • Tags :
  • Collegium
  • Article 124 and 217
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