August 28, 2025

New Delhi: A strong voice of dissent has echoed inside the Supreme Court! Justice B V Nagarathna, the only woman judge in the SC, has openly opposed the collegium's bold decision to promote Patna High Court's Chief Justice Vipul Manubhai Pancholi to the Supreme Court. She called this move "counter-productive" and worries it might harm the judiciary's image. On August 25, the five-member collegium, including CJI B R Gavai and Justices Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, J K Maheshwari, and Nagarathna herself, recommended two names for SC judgeship: Bombay High Court Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Pancholi. If appointed, Justice Pancholi could become the Chief Justice of India in October 2031 after Justice Joymalya Bagchi retires. But wait, Justice Nagarathna wasn’t happy. She pointed out that Pancholi’s seniority is quite low and highlighted the unusual nature of his transfer from Gujarat High Court to Patna High Court in July 2023. She said, "The transfer was not a routine one, but a carefully considered decision taken after consultation with several senior judges, all of whom concurred." This transfer raised eyebrows among legal experts. Sources say she also raised the issue of regional balance in the Supreme Court and warned that pushing Pancholi’s elevation might damage "whatever credibility collegium system still holds." Her resistance began back in May when Pancholi’s name first came up. At that time, Justice N V Anjaria was promoted ahead of him. When Pancholi’s name was again suggested three months later, Nagarathna firmly recorded her dissent. This dissent has sent ripples beyond the court walls. The NGO Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reforms (CJAR) slammed the collegium’s August 25 decision, calling it a "mockery of the earlier standards of transparency in judicial appointments." They pointed out that Pancholi was chosen in a 4-1 split decision despite ranking only 57th in seniority among High Court judges nationwide. CJAR also noted that Pancholi would become the third judge from Gujarat to join the Supreme Court, which they said is "disproportionate to the size of Gujarat HC," especially as many other High Courts remain unrepresented. Justice Nagarathna's rare dissent against a future Chief Justice of India reignites fierce debate over the collegium system, its openness, and the trust people place in judicial appointments. The nation watches closely as this story unfolds!

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Tags: Supreme court, Justice b v nagarathna, Vipul manubhai pancholi, Judicial appointments, Collegium system, Patna high court,