Ending the deadlock, Centre on Friday cleared the names of three high court judges to be elevated to the Supreme Court of India. Those who were elevated to the apex court included Uttarakhand High Court Chief Justice KM Joseph, Madras HC Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Orissa HC Chief Justice Vineet Saran. The elevation of Indira Banerjee takes the number of women judges in top court to eight. Banerjee was appointed as chief justice of Madras High Court in April, 2017.
Banerjee who started her career in 2002, also served at Calcutta High Court and Delhi High Court. Enrolled as an Advocate on 5th July, 1985, she practised in both – the Original and Appellate Sides of Calcutta High Court in all branches of law except criminal law.
Banerjee is an alumnus of Loreto House, Calcutta, Presidency College, Calcutta and Calcutta University College of Law.
A notification, that was issued on Friday stated, “In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (2) of Article 124 of the Constitution of India, the President is pleased to appoint Kumari Justice Indira Banerjee, Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, to be a judge of the Supreme Court of India with effect from the date she assumes charge of her office.”
As CJI of Madras HC, Banerjee succeeded Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, who was then elevated to the top court. She is also the second woman to head Madras High Court, after Justice Kanta Kumari Bhatnagar.
As SC’s 8th woman judge, Banerjee will join Fathima Beevi, Sujata V. Manohar, Ruma Pal, Gyan Sudha Misra, Ranjana Prakash Desai, R. Banumathi and Indu Malhotra.
