The Central government on Monday approved the appointment of Calcutta High Court Justice Joymalya Bagchi as a judge of the Supreme Court. The announcement was made by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Justice Bagchi’s elevation to the Supreme Court follows a recommendation by the Supreme Court Collegium on March 6.
A seasoned jurist, Justice Bagchi was appointed as a judge of the Calcutta High Court on June 27, 2011. He was later transferred to the Andhra Pradesh High Court on January 4, 2021, before being repatriated to the Calcutta High Court on November 8, 2021, where he has been serving since. With over 13 years of experience as a High Court judge, Justice Bagchi brings a wealth of judicial expertise to the Supreme Court.
Upon joining the Supreme Court, Justice Bagchi will have a tenure of over six years. He is set to become the Chief Justice of India (CJI) in May 2031, following the retirement of Justice KV Viswanathan. However, his term as CJI will be relatively brief, as he is scheduled to retire in October 2031.
Notably, Justice Bagchi will be the first CJI from Calcutta since the late CJI Altamas Kabir, who retired in 2013. His appointment will also reduce the number of vacancies in the Supreme Court to just one, against its sanctioned strength of 34 judges.