Senior advocate Venkita Subramani Mohana was appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court on Monday (June 1). This marks a historic milestone in the Indian judiciary, as she is only the second woman in the country’s history to be directly elevated to the apex court from the Bar, after Indu Malhotra in 2018.
The Central government cleared her appointment following recommendations from the Supreme Court Collegium. Her inclusion comes alongside the elevation of four high court chief justices, bringing the highest court close to its full working capacity.
12th woman judge in SC
Mohana’s appointment is significant for gender representation in the judiciary. She is the 12th woman judge in the history of the Supreme Court, and the first woman advocate from Tamil Nadu to be elevated directly from the Bar.
With her entry, she will serve alongside Justice BV Nagarathna as one of the two active women judges on the current Bench.
The 59-year-old Mohana brings nearly four decades of courtroom experience to the Supreme Court’s Bench. Mohana graduated from the Coimbatore Law College in 1988 and began practicing law the same year. In recognition of her long career and expertise, the Supreme Court designated her as a senior advocate in 2015.
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Throughout her career, Mohana has argued several high-profile and socially impactful cases before the top court. Her notable appearances include landmark legal battles concerning a permanent commission for women officers in the armed forces, property rights for senior citizens, and the Karnataka hijab ban case. She is set to serve a five-year tenure before her retirement in June 2031.
Boosting top court capacity
Mohana’s appointment is part of a wider push to expand the capacity of the top court and tackle case backlogs. Alongside Mohana, Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court; Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court; Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court; and Justice Arun Palli, Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court, were elevated as top court judges.
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The move follows a recent government ordinance that increased the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court from 34 to 38 judges, including the Chief Justice of India.
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