Question

Discuss the composition of the Supreme Court of India.

What is the composition of the Supreme Court of India?

State the composition of the apex judicial institution in India.

Answer 1

The Supreme Court consists of a Chief Justice and 33 other judges, or as decided by the Parliament. The judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the president by warrant under his hand and seal after consultation with such judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts as he deems necessary. Every judge of the Supreme Court shall hold office till he attains the age of 65 years. During his office, a judge may be removed by the Parliament or resign from his office by submitting his resignation to the president. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, with the prior consent of the President, may appoint ad hoc judges for the time being if a quorum of judges is not available to hold the sessions of the court.

The qualifications required to become a Supreme Court judge are

• He must be a citizen of India.
• He should have worked as a judge of a high court continuously for at least five years.
• He should have advocated for two or more High Courts for 10 years.
• He should be a distinguished jurist in the opinion of the president.

Answer 2

The Constitution of India provides for a Supreme Court with a Chief Justice and up to 33 other judges (as decided by Parliament), who are appointed by the President of India after consultation with the Chief Justice of India.