Delhi High Court judge strength reaches 50 after new swearing-in

Justice Gurvinder Pal Singh took oath as a judge of the Delhi High Court on Wednesday, taking the total strength of judges in the court to 50. Acting Chief Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre administered the oath of office to Justice Singh during a ceremony held within the High Court premises. Justice Singh took his oath in Hindi. Prior to this elevation as an additional judge, Justice Singh served as a judicial officer in the Delhi district judiciary. The Centre notified his appointment on October 5. While the Supreme Court Collegium recommended eight judicial officers for elevation on September 10, Justice Singh did not appear in that initial list which saw seven other judges take oath last month.

Context

The Delhi High Court has a sanctioned strength of 60 judges, divided into 45 permanent and 15 additional positions. Judicial appointments in India's higher judiciary follow a collegium system where the Supreme Court Collegium recommends names to the Centre before official notification and swearing-in.