President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday appointed Justice Dinesh Maheshwari, chief justice of Karnataka High Court and Sanjiv Khanna, judge of Delhi High Court, to be a judge of the Supreme Court of India with effect from the date they assume charge of their office, reported news agency ANI.

The five-member SC Collegium had on January 11 recommended the elevation of the two to the top court.

The apex court is presently functioning with 26 judges as against the sanctioned strength of 31, leaving five clear vacancies.

While recommending the names of Justices Maheshwari and Justice Khanna, the Collegium took into consideration the combined seniority on an all-India basis of Chief Justices and senior puisne judges of High Courts, apart from their merit and integrity.

President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday appointed Justice Dinesh Maheshwari, chief justice of Karnataka High Court and Sanjiv Khanna, judge of Delhi High Court, to be a judge of the Supreme Court of India with effect from the date they assume charge of their office, reported news agency ANI.

President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday appointed Justice Dinesh Maheshwari, chief justice of Karnataka High Court and Sanjiv Khanna, judge of Delhi High Court, to be a judge of the Supreme Court of India with effect from the date they assume charge of their office, reported news agency ANI. The five-member SC Collegium had on January 11 recommended the elevation of the two to the top court. The apex court is presently functioning with 26 judges as against the sanctioned strength of 31, leaving five clear vacancies. While recommending the names of Justices Maheshwari and Justice Khanna, the Collegium took into consideration the combined seniority on an all-India basis of Chief Justices and senior puisne judges of High Courts, apart from their merit and integrity.

President Kovind appoints Dinesh Maheshwari, Sanjiv Khanna as Supreme Court judges

A lawyers' body has expressed grave concern over the issues raised by Supreme Court's senior-most judge Justice J Chelameswar in a letter to the Chief Justice of India urging him to convene a full court to deal with the alleged executive interference in the judiciary.

"The letter of Justice Chelameswar reveals direct interference of central government in the process of appointment of judges in the High Court. The letter clearly shows that the independence of the Judiciary is in peril now," the All India Lawyers Union (AILU) said in a statement.

It said that lawyers across the country were concerned with the latest revelations made in the letter in which Justice Chelameswar has questioned the probe initiated by Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari against District and Sessions Judge Krishna Bhat at the request of the Ministry of Law and Justice, despite his name being recommended for elevation twice by the Collegium.

"More painful for the democracy is that the present Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court has obediently succumbed to the Executive pressure. The present govt is not only deliberately destroying the independence of judiciary but few judges are also abetting it," a statement, released by AILU President and senior advocate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya and General Secretary Som Dutta Sharma, said.

Condemning the move of inquiry against a recommender of the collegium, the AILU said if the collegium's recommendations cannot be accepted, these should have been referred to the apex court for reconsideration.

"A judge is oath-bound to uphold the Constitution without favour and fear. Chief Justice of Karnataka has failed in the instant case to stick to his oath. It's time to raise voice to save both democracy and the Constitution," the statement said.

Justice Chelameswar had shot off a letter on March 21 to the CJI urging him to consider convening a full court to take up the issue of alleged executive interference in the judiciary. He had also cautioned that "the bonhomie between the judiciary and the government in any State sounds the death knell to democracy".

Justice Chelameswar, who had held the unprecedented January 12 press conference along with three other senior judges raising issues including the allocation of cases by the CJI, had said, "We, the judges of the Supreme

Court of India, is being accused of ceding our independence and our institutional integrity to the Executive's incremental encroachment.

"The executive is always impatient and brooks no disobedience even of the judiciary if it can. Attempts were always made to treat the Chief Justices as the Departmental Heads in the Secretariat. So much for our independence and pre-eminence' as a distinct State organ."

A lawyers' body has expressed grave concern over the issues raised by Supreme Court's senior-most judge Justice J Chelameswar in a letter to the Chief Justice of India urging him to convene a full court to deal with the alleged executive interference in the judiciary

A lawyers' body has expressed grave concern over the issues raised by Supreme Court's senior-most judge Justice J Chelameswar in a letter to the Chief Justice of India urging him to convene a full court to deal with the alleged executive interference in the judiciary. "The letter of Justice Chelameswar reveals direct interference of central government in the process of appointment of judges in the High Court. The letter clearly shows that the independence of the Judiciary is in peril now," the All India Lawyers Union (AILU) said in a statement. It said that lawyers across the country were concerned with the latest revelations made in the letter in which Justice Chelameswar has questioned the probe initiated by Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari against District and Sessions Judge Krishna Bhat at the request of the Ministry of Law and Justice, despite his name being recommended for elevation twice by the Collegium. "More painful for the democracy is that the present Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court has obediently succumbed to the Executive pressure. The present govt is not only deliberately destroying the independence of judiciary but few judges are also abetting it," a statement, released by AILU President and senior advocate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya and General Secretary Som Dutta Sharma, said. Condemning the move of inquiry against a recommender of the collegium, the AILU said if the collegium's recommendations cannot be accepted, these should have been referred to the apex court for reconsideration. "A judge is oath-bound to uphold the Constitution without favour and fear. Chief Justice of Karnataka has failed in the instant case to stick to his oath. It's time to raise voice to save both democracy and the Constitution," the statement said. Justice Chelameswar had shot off a letter on March 21 to the CJI urging him to consider convening a full court to take up the issue of alleged executive interference in the judiciary. He had also cautioned that "the bonhomie between the judiciary and the government in any State sounds the death knell to democracy". Justice Chelameswar, who had held the unprecedented January 12 press conference along with three other senior judges raising issues including the allocation of cases by the CJI, had said, "We, the judges of the Supreme Court of India, is being accused of ceding our independence and our institutional integrity to the Executive's incremental encroachment. "The executive is always impatient and brooks no disobedience even of the judiciary if it can. Attempts were always made to treat the Chief Justices as the Departmental Heads in the Secretariat. So much for our independence and pre-eminence' as a distinct State organ."

Lawyers' body concerned over the revelations made by SC judge Chelameswar

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President Kovind appoints Dinesh Maheshwari, Sanjiv Khanna as Supreme Court judges

Lawyers' body concerned over the revelations made by SC judge Chelameswar