New Delhi: Justices N Kotiswar Singh from the Manipur High Court and R Mahadevan from the Madras High Court were sworn in as Supreme Court judges on Thursday, filling the vacancies left by the recent retirements and restoring the Court to its full sanctioned strength of 34 judges. The oath-taking ceremony was presided over by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud.
The appointments, recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium on July 11 and approved by the Union government on July 16, mark significant milestones in the careers of both judges.
Justice N Kotiswar Singh, the first Supreme Court judge from Manipur, has had an illustrious career. Born on March 1, 1963, in Imphal, he is the son of the late Justice N Ibotombi Singh of the Gauhati High Court and N Gomati Devi. Justice Singh served as the Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court since February 2023. Before that, he was appointed as an additional judge of the Gauhati High Court in 2011 and became a permanent judge in 2012. He has also served as a judge of the Manipur High Court and was later transferred back to the Gauhati High Court in 2018.
Justice Singh began his legal career practicing before the Supreme Court of India before moving to the Gauhati High Court, where he was designated as a Senior Advocate in 2008. His diverse experience includes practicing civil, criminal, and writ law, with a specialization in indirect taxes, customs, and central excise matters.
Justice R Mahadevan, who had been serving as the Acting Chief Justice of the Madras High Court since May 2024, also brings a wealth of experience to the Supreme Court. After completing his law degree at Madras Law College, he enrolled as a lawyer in 1989. Over the course of 25 years, Justice Mahadevan practiced in civil, criminal, and writ cases, specializing in indirect taxes, customs, and central excise. His extensive career includes roles as Additional Government Pleader (Taxes) for the Government of Tamil Nadu, and Additional Central Government Standing Counsel and Senior Panel Counsel for the Government of India at the Madras High Court. He was elevated to the Madras High Court as a judge in 2013.
Now the next two retirements from the Supreme Court in 2024 are of Justice Hima Kohli on 1st September and Chief Justice DY Chandrachud on 10 November.
