Supreme Court achieves full strength after two new judges take oath

Meanwhile, four more vacancies are going to arise by the second week of July and the working strength of judges will come to 28, the Bar and Bench reported earlier.

According to reports, senior advocate KV Viswanathan is in line to become the 58th CJI in August 2030 for a period of over nine months.

On the retirement of Justice JB Pardiwala on August 11, 2030, he will be in line to assume Chief Justice of India's office till his retirement on May 25, 2031.

"On the retirement of Justice Jamshed Burjor Pardiwala on August 11, 2030, Viswanathan would be in line to assume office as the Chief Justice of India till his retirement on May 25, 2031," the Collegium said in its recommendation.

He will be the fourth person to become the CJI, following Justices SM Sikri, UU Lalit, and PS Narasimha.

Justice SM Sikri was the first CJI, who was directly elevated to the Supreme Court bench from the Bar. Justice UU Lalit was second. Sitting Supreme Court judge Justice PS Narasimha will become the third CJI who was directly elevated from the Bar.

He is also the tenth person to be appointed to the Supreme Court directly from the Bar, the Bar and Bench had said. The other judges who were appointed directly from the Bar were SC Roy, Kuldip Singh, Santosh Hegde, Rohinton Nariman, L Nageswara Rao and Indu Malhotra.