Justice Sunita Agarwal's Name Surfaces in Supreme Court Elevation Talk

Justice Sunita Agarwal, Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court, is among the women judges whose names are being discussed within legal circles for possible elevation to the Supreme Court of India.

The Supreme Court currently has only a handful of women judges on its sanctioned strength, and any elevation from the high courts goes through the collegium system, where the Chief Justice of India and senior-most judges recommend names to the government based on seniority, merit and regional representation.

Justice Agarwal has spent several years on the high court bench, hearing a range of civil and constitutional matters, before her elevation as Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court, a post that places her among the senior-most high court judges currently in line for consideration.

As Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court, she oversees the administration of one of the country's larger high courts, including roster allocation and case management across the Ahmedabad-based bench and its circuit courts.

Her name being floated for the apex court comes amid a broader push within the legal fraternity for greater representation of women judges on the Supreme Court bench, where seniority-based elevation has historically limited the number of women reaching the top court.

Any elevation would require collegium consensus and government concurrence, a process that has, in the past, taken months even after informal discussion of names begins.

Justice Agarwal is due to retire on April 29, 2028, which would give her a multi-year tenure at the Supreme Court if the elevation goes through before then.