Centre Notifies Appointment of Justices Alok Aradhe, Vipul Pancholi to Supreme Court
Supreme Court to reach full strength of 34 judges after oath-taking….
New Delhi: The Centre on Wednesday notified the appointment of Bombay High Court Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Patna High Court Chief Justice Vipul Manubhai Pancholi as judges of the Supreme Court, just two days after the CJI BR Gavai-led Collegium recommended their elevation.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by Clause (2) of Article 124 of the Constitution, the President is pleased to appoint Shri Justice Alok Aradhe… and a similar notification was issued for Justice Pancholi,” read the Department of Justice notification.
Justice Aradhe is in line to become CJI in October 2031 after the retirement of Justice Joymalya Bagchi, serving the top position for one-and-a-half years. After the two judges take oath, the Supreme Court’s strength will reach 34, currently functioning with 32 judges including the CJI.
Collegium Recommendation & Controversy
The five-member collegium, headed by CJI Gavai along with Justices Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, JK Maheshwari, and BV Nagarathna, took the decision on Monday. Justice Nagarathna reportedly opposed Justice Pancholi’s elevation, citing it as potentially counterproductive to justice administration.
The Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reforms (CJAR) also questioned the decision, noting that Justice Pancholi is 57th in all-India seniority, and three women judges senior to him were overlooked. Senior counsel Indira Jaising highlighted the lack of recommendations for women judges under four recent CJIs.
Background of Justice Aradhe
Born: April 13, 1964
LLB, enrolled as advocate: July 12, 1988
Senior Advocate: April 2007, Madhya Pradesh High Court
High Court Appointments: Madhya Pradesh (2009), Jammu & Kashmir (2016), Karnataka (2018), Telangana Chief Justice (2023), Bombay Chief Justice (2025)
Background of Justice Pancholi
Born: May 28, 1968, Ahmedabad
BSc (Electronics), LLM (Commercial Law)
Joined Bar: September 1991, Gujarat High Court
High Court Appointments: Gujarat HC (2014), Permanent Judge (2016), Patna HC Chief Justice (July 2025)
Experienced in criminal, civil, property, service, family, banking law; visiting faculty at Sir LA Shah Law College for 21 years
The appointments mark a significant update for the Supreme Court, raising its working strength to its full capacity and ensuring continued judicial functioning.
