Supreme Court Collegium Approves 12 High Court Judges

The Supreme Court Collegium approved the appointment of 12 additional judges as permanent judges in four High Courts on 23 September 2026. The recommendation covered the High Courts of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Uttarakhand, and Gauhati.

Supreme Court Collegium

The Supreme Court Collegium is the body that recommends appointments and transfers of judges in the higher judiciary of India. It functions under the collegium system developed through Supreme Court judgments on judicial appointments.

High Court Judges in India

A High Court in India is the highest judicial authority at the state level under Article 214 of the Constitution of India. Judges of a High Court are appointed by the President of India under Article 217 after consultation with the Chief Justice of India and the Governor of the State.

Permanent Appointment of Additional Judges

Additional judges are appointed under Article 224 of the Constitution of India for a temporary period. Their appointment as permanent judges is made after assessment of judicial work and vacancy position in the concerned High Court.

• Five additional judges were approved for permanent appointment in the Andhra Pradesh High Court.
• Five additional judges were approved for permanent appointment in the Kerala High Court.
• Justice Subhash Upadhyay was approved for permanent appointment in the Uttarakhand High Court.
• Justice Kaushik Goswami was approved for permanent appointment in the Gauhati High Court.

Important Facts for Exams

• The Supreme Court Collegium usually consists of the Chief Justice of India and the four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court.
• High Court judges retire at the age of 62 years under the Constitution of India.
• Article 217 deals with the appointment and conditions of office of a High Court judge.
• Article 224 deals with the appointment of additional and acting judges in High Courts.

Judicial Appointments in the Higher Judiciary

The collegium system applies to appointments of judges to the Supreme Court and High Courts in India. The process involves recommendations from the judiciary and formal appointment by the President of India. The Andhra Pradesh High Court and the Kerala High Court each received five recommendations for permanent judges. The remaining two recommendations were for the Uttarakhand High Court and the Gauhati High Court.