New Delhi: Justice Joymalya Bagchi has been a high court judge for over 13 years, acquiring extensive experience across various legal domains. On Thursday, the Supreme Court collegium recommended Justice Bagchi, currently serving on the Calcutta High Court, for appointment as a Supreme Court judge. Should the government approve this recommendation, he is poised to become the Chief Justice of India (CJI) in May 2031, although his tenure would last just over four months, concluding with his retirement on October 2, 2031.
The collegium, which includes CJI Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Bhushan R. Gavai, Surya Kant, Abhay S. Oka, and Vikram Nath, made this decision during their meeting on Thursday. The Supreme Court, which has a sanctioned strength of 34 judges, is currently short by two.
In assessing candidates for the position, the collegium took into account Justice Bagchi’s qualifications, integrity, and competence, despite his ranking as the 11th senior-most among high court judges nationwide, including chief justices.
Justice Bagchi was appointed to the Calcutta High Court in June 2011, later transferred to the Andhra Pradesh High Court in January 2021, and returned to the Calcutta High Court in November of the same year. His tenure as a high court judge has provided him with a wealth of experience in various areas of law.
The collegium noted that since Justice Altamas Kabir’s retirement as CJI in 2013, there has not been a CJI from the Calcutta High Court. Following the retirement of Justice K.V. Viswanathan on May 25, 2031, Justice Bagchi is next in line to assume the CJI role, which he would hold until his retirement on October 2, 2031.
The collegium observed that at present, only one judge from the Calcutta High Court, Justice Dipankar Datta, is part of the Supreme Court bench.
During the same meeting, the collegium put forth a recommendation for the appointment of Justice Harish Tandon, a judge of the Calcutta High Court, to the position of Chief Justice of the Orissa High Court.
This vacancy was created due to the retirement of Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh on January 19, 2025. Justice Tandon, who has been a judge of the Calcutta High Court since April 13, 2010, holds the seventh position in the all-India seniority list of high court judges, including chief justices. He possesses considerable experience in civil law and has previously served as a senior puisne judge in his home high court, as noted in the resolution.
The collegium evaluated Justice Tandon’s qualifications, integrity, and judicial performance, ultimately determining that he is suitable for the role of Chief Justice of the Orissa High Court. Both recommendations will be forwarded to the Union government for approval prior to the finalization of the appointments.
