Some of the consultee judges are learnt to have questioned the proposed elevation (File)

The Law Ministry is learnt to have forwarded to the Prime Minister's Office the recommendation of the Supreme Court selection panel to elevate four high court chief justices as judges of the top court, sources in the government said on Thursday.

The ministry has also forwarded a note stating "factual position" on the four candidates, which includes views of "consultee judges".

Some of the consultee judges are learnt to have questioned the proposed elevation of some of the candidates who are lower in the order in the all-India seniority list.

Consultee judges are those who have earlier served in courts where the candidate judges are currently posted.

The views of consultee judges are not binding on the Collegium, but when the government takes a view, it keeps in mind the issue.

The sources indicated that in the coming days, the government could flag to the Collegium the issue of seniority and regional representation. But no decision has been taken as yet.

Any decision would be taken after detailed deliberations, they added.

While recommending the names of Chief Justices of high courts of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana, Rajasthan and Kerala, the collegium had said that the candidates are "more deserving and suitable in all respects than other chief justices and senior judges of high courts, for being appointed as judges of the Supreme Court of India".

Justice V Ramasubramanian is the chief justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court, while Justice Krishna Murari is the chief justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Justice S Ravindra Bhat is the current chief justice of Rajasthan High Court and Justice Hrishikesh Roy is the chief justice of Kerala High Court.

The appointment of these four judges in the Supreme Court would take its strength to 34, the highest so far.

Recently, parliament increased the number of judges in the Supreme Court from 31 to 34.