Venkita Mohana Becomes Second Woman To Be Directly Elevated To SC From Bar
1 Jun 2026 4:27 PM IST1 Jun 2026 4:27 PM IST
Justice Nagarathna will also become the Chief Justice of India for more than a month in 2027
Mohana, 59, graduated from the Coimbatore Law College in 1988 and has been practising since then. The Supreme Court designated her as a senior advocate in 2015. She has appeared in several high-profile cases, including matters related to permanent commission for women officers in the armed forces, senior citizens' property rights, and the Karnataka hijab ban case. — Internet
NEW DELHI: Senior advocate Venkita Subramani Mohana was on Monday appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court, becoming only the second woman to be directly elevated from the Bar after Justice Indu Malhotra in 2018.
With her appointment, the Supreme Court will have two serving women judges, the other being Justice B.V. Nagarathna, who was elevated to the top court in August 2021. Justice Nagarathna is in line to become the Chief Justice of India for a brief period in 2027.
Along with Mohana, four Chief Justices of High Courts — Justice Shree Chandrashekhar (Bombay), Justice Sheel Nagu (Punjab and Haryana), Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva (Madhya Pradesh) and Justice Arun Palli (Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh) — were also elevated to the apex court.
Following the five appointments, the Supreme Court’s strength has risen to 37, one short of its sanctioned strength of 38.
Mohana, 59, graduated from Coimbatore Law College in 1988 and has been in practice since then. She was designated a senior advocate by the Supreme Court in 2015.
She has appeared in several significant cases, including those relating to permanent commission for women in the armed forces, senior citizens’ property rights and the Karnataka hijab ban. She will be the 12th woman judge in the history of the Supreme Court and is due to retire in June 2031.
Justice M. Fathima Beevi was the first woman judge of the Supreme Court, appointed in 1989 after serving in a High Court. At one point, the court had three women judges — Justices Indu Malhotra, R. Banumathi and Indira Banerjee.
Justice Indu Malhotra was sworn in directly from the Bar on April 27, 2018, and retired in March 2021. At present, Justices P.S. Narasimha and K.V. Viswanathan are the other judges elevated directly from the Bar.
The appointments follow the recent increase in the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court from 34 to 38, including the Chief Justice of India. After the expansion, six vacancies had arisen. With five judges appointed, one vacancy remains.
The Supreme Court Collegium had recommended the five names on May 27, and the appointments were cleared within four days.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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