Justice Joymalya Bagchi of Calcutta HC takes oath as SC judge

New Delhi: Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna on Monday administered the oath of office to Justice Joymalya Bagchi, a senior judge of the Calcutta High Court, as a Supreme Court judge. The CJI administered the oath to Justice Bagchi in the presence of other Supreme Court judges at a ceremony on the apex court premises. With the swearing in of Justice Bagchi, the top court will have 33 judges against its sanctioned strength of 34.

Justice Bagchi will have a tenure of more than six years in the top court, during which he will also serve as the CJI. Born on October 3, 1966, Justice Bagchi would assume the office of the CJI upon the retirement of Justice K V Viswanathan on May 25, 2031. His tenure will last till his retirement on October 2, 2031. Justice Bagchi's name was cleared for appointment as a Supreme Court judge by the central government on March 10, days after a five-member collegium headed by CJI Khanna recommended his name on March 6. The collegium -- also comprising Justice B R Gavai, Justice Surya Kant, Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Vikram Nath -- noted that no Calcutta High Court judge had risen to become the CJI since the retirement of Justice Altamas Kabir on July 18, 2013.

Justice Bagchi was appointed a judge in the Calcutta High Court on June 27, 2011, and transferred to the Andhra Pradesh High Court on January 4, 2021. He was repatriated to the Calcutta High Court on November 8, 2021, and had been functioning there since then. He has served as a high court judge for more than 13 years and stands at serial number 11 in the combined all-India seniority of high court judges, including chief justices. During his long career, Justice Bagchi has acquired significant experience in diverse fields of law.