First Woman From Scheduled Tribe Appointed Judge In Manipur High Court

The Union government has taken a significant step in enhancing diversity and representation in the higher judiciary by notifying the appointment of three judges to the high courts of Madras and Manipur. Among these appointees is Golmei Gaiphulshillu Kabui, a judicial officer who is set to make history as the first woman from a scheduled tribe to become a judge in the Manipur high court.

The other two newly appointed judges hail from marginalized communities. N Senthilkumar and G Arul Murugan, both advocates, have been selected to serve in the Madras high court. Their appointments are poised to promote social inclusivity, with Senthilkumar belonging to the Scheduled Caste and Murugan to the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.

These appointments follow recommendations by the Supreme Court collegium, consisting of Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud and Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sanjiv Khanna, in July. The collegium recognized Senthilkumar's extensive 28-year career and expertise in constitutional, criminal, service, and civil cases, emphasizing the importance of enhancing the representation of marginalized communities on the bench, according to media reports.

Similarly, the collegium noted Murugan's 24 years of legal practice, particularly in civil, criminal, and writ cases, highlighting the significance of his appointment to provide better representation for the OBCs in the higher judiciary.

This development is part of a group of nine recommendations made by the Supreme Court collegium earlier this year, some of which had been pending since January, awaiting processing by the Centre. The delay in appointing these judges prompted concern and scrutiny by the Supreme Court, emphasizing the urgency of addressing this issue.

As of March, data presented in the Lok Sabha revealed that out of 575 high court judges appointed since 2018, 67 belong to the OBC category, 17 to the SC category, 9 to the ST category, and 18 to minority communities. This move aims to further balance these figures and promote equitable representation within the judiciary.

These appointments come in the wake of important Supreme Court hearings led by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, which have been monitoring the government's progress in processing the collegium's proposals for appointing and transferring judges in constitutional courts. On September 26, the Supreme Court expressed its concern regarding the delays in processing these appointments and pledged to periodically assess the government's actions in this regard.

The court is actively considering a contempt plea filed by the Advocate Association, Bengaluru, through Advocate Amit Pai, which highlights various instances of pending appointments and unexplained holdovers by the government.