Supreme Court Collegium recommends elevation of Justice N Kotiswar Singh

Srinagar, July 11: The Supreme Court Collegium Thursday recommended the incumbent Chief Justice of the High Court of J&K and Ladakh, Justice N Kotiswar Singh for elevation as a judge to the apex court.

The Collegium, led by Chief Justice Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, proposed the appointment of Justice N Kotiswar Singh and Justice R Mahadevan to the Supreme Court, where the vacancies were left by recent retirements.

Justice Singh was appointed as a Judge of the Gauhati High Court on October 17, 2011.

On the formation of the High Court of Manipur, he was transferred as a Judge of that High Court from the Gauhati High Court and on February 15, 2023, was appointed as Chief Justice of the High Court for J&K and Ladakh.

Justice Singh, currently serving as the Chief Justice of the High Court of J&K and Ladakh, will become the first judge from Manipur to join the Supreme Court, if the appointment is approved.

The collegium praised Justice Singh’s record as “impeccable” in both judicial capacity and administrative work.

“His appointment as a Judge of the Supreme Court will provide representation to the North-East, and in particular, he will be the first Judge from the State of Manipur to be appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court,” the Collegium said.

Justice R Mahadevan, presently the Acting Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, has been recommended for his judicial performance and suitability for the role.

“Being conversant with the work of Justice Mahadevan on the judicial side and as a senior Judge of the High Court, the Collegium is of the view that he is eminently suitable for appointment as a Judge of the Supreme Court,” the Collegium said.

As Justice Mahadevan belongs to a backward community from the State of Tamil Nadu, the Collegium said, his appointment will bring diversity to the Bench.

These recommendations come in the wake of vacancies created by the retirements of Justice Aniruddha Bose on April 10, 2024, and Justice A S Bopanna on May 19, 2024.