Indu Malhotra | File Image | Photo Credit: BCCL

New Delhi: In a historic development, the Union government on Wednesday cleared the elevation of senior advocate Indu Malhotra as a Supreme Court judge. Indu Malhotra’s elevation is historic as it is for the first time ever that a woman lawyer is being elevated from the Bar as a judge in the country’s top court. Malhotra will be sworn in as Supreme Court judge on Friday, Live Law reported, while confirming the development on its website. Indu Malhotra’s name was recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium.

The Supreme Court Collegium had also asked for appointment of Uttarakhand Chief Justice KM Joseph as a Supreme Court judge. The recommendations were made around three months ago. PTI quoted sources in the Union Law Ministry as saying that Justice Joseph’s elevation has been put on hold for now. The Law Ministry had received the recommendations on January 22 this year. While the file was processed in the first week of February itself, a decision on the same was delayed as the government wanted to elevate only Malhotra.

Senior lawyer Indu Malhotra set to be first woman to leap frog from bar to SC judge post

The government, however, is believed to have taken the decision to appoint Malhotra but keep on hold the elevation of Justice Joseph. As per a report in PTI, the government is of the view that the Supreme Court Collegium has disregarded seniority and regional representation in recommending the name of Justice Joseph. He is 42nd in the seniority list of 669 high court judges.

Meanwhile, it may be noted that the Supreme Court currently has only one woman judge - Justice R Banumathi. The Supreme Court has seen only six women judges since Independence. Justice Fathima Beevi became the first woman to be appointed a judge of the Supreme Court in 1989. Justice Sujatha Manohar, Justice Ruma Pal, Justice Gyan Sudha Misra and Justice Ranjana Desai are the other women judges who made it to the Supreme Court, Live Law reported.