New Delhi (PTI): Outgoing senior woman Supreme Court judge Justice Indira Banerjee Friday hoped that more women would be appointed as judges of the top judiciary in the coming days.
Justice Banerjee, who is the fifth senior-most judge in the apex court would be demitting office after serving for over four years.
Besides her, other women judges in the apex court are Justices Hima Kohli, B.V. Nagarathna, and Bela M Trivedi.
Justice Banerjee was the eighth woman judge to be appointed to the Supreme Court and now with her retirement, there would be three women judges in the apex court.
The Supreme Court, which came into being on January 26, 1950, has seen very few women judges since its inception and in the last over 72 years -- only 11, starting with Justice M Fathima Beevi in 1989.
Other female judges appointed to the apex court were -- Justices Sujata V Manohar, Ruma Pal, Gyan Sudha Misra, Ranjana P Desai, R Banumathi, and Indu Malhotra.
On the last working day, Justice Banerjee shared the ceremonial bench with Chief Justice of India U U Lalit who praised her contribution to the judiciary in her over two-decade-long career.
We all will be missing our sister, Justice Banerjee. In twenty years of judicial career, she has given everything. Hard-working -- yes. Intelligent -- No doubt. She has all the qualities which a judge should have. We all will be missing her on the bench and of course, she will always remain in our hearts. So, good luck sister! Wish you all the best!, said the CJI.
Justice Banerjee, who was elevated to the top court on August 7, 2018, from Madras High Court where she was the Chief Justice, acknowledged the assistance of the bar in judgements delivered by her.
She recalled her first day in the top court as the judge saying that it seemed just like the other day when she was sharing the bench with Justice (since retired) Dipak Misra on August 7, 2018.
I acknowledge the assistance which I have received from the members of the bar. If I gave judgments, it was because of their (lawyers') assistance, she said, adding that the apex court bar is very strong, independent and intelligent .
I do hope that there will be more women in the future...hope there is cooperation for the weaker, and there be equality and justice in the shortest span of time. Thank you all, she said in her concluding remarks.
The retirement of justice Banerjee would bring down the number of serving judges in the top court to 29 against the sanctioned strength of 34 including the CJI.
The SCBA (Supreme Court Bar Association) would hold a formal function to bid farewell to Justice Banerjee, the senior judge among the four women judges in the top court, in the evening.
As per the Constitution, Supreme Court judges retire at the age of 65.
Attorney General K K Venugopal, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, SCBA president, and senior advocate Vikas Singh paid rich tributes to Justice Banerjee on her last day in office.
We have very few women judges on the bench and it is very sad that we are losing one of the best amongst them, the top law officer said.
Justice Banerjee, born on September 24, 1957, did LL.B from the College of Law of Calcutta University and enrolled as an advocate on July 5, 1985.
She practiced both in the Original and Appellate Sides of the Calcutta High Court in all branches of law except Criminal law, with appearances in the Supreme Court, other Courts, and Tribunals.
She was elevated as a permanent Judge of Calcutta High Court on February 5, 2002, was transferred as the Judge of the Delhi High Court on August 8, 2016, and also became the chairperson of the Delhi State Legal Services Authority.
She was sworn in as Chief Justice of Madras High Court on April 5, April 2017, and was later elevated as Supreme Court Judge on August 7, 2018.
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Kyiv, May 12 (AP): Russia launched more than 100 Shahed and decoy drones at Ukraine in nighttime attacks, the Ukrainian air force said Monday, after the Kremlin effectively rejected an unconditional 30-day ceasefire in the more than three-year war, but reiterated that it would take part in possible peace talks later this week without preconditions.
There was no direct response from the Kremlin, meanwhile, to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's challenge for Russian leader Vladimir Putin to meet him for face-to-face peace talks in Turkiye on Thursday.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday refused to say who might travel to Istanbul from the Russian side.
“Overall, we're determined to seriously look for ways to achieve a long-term peaceful settlement. That is all,” Peskov said.
The United States and European governments are making a concerted push to stop the fighting, which has killed tens of thousands of soldiers on both sides, as well as more than 10,000 Ukrainian civilians. Russia's invading forces have taken around one-fifth of Ukraine in Europe's biggest conflict since World War II.
In a flurry of diplomatic developments over the weekend, Russia shunned the ceasefire proposal tabled by the US and European leaders, but offered direct talks with Ukraine on Thursday.
Ukraine, along with European allies, had demanded that Russia accept a ceasefire starting Monday before holding peace talks. Moscow effectively rejected that proposal and instead called for direct negotiations in Istanbul.
West increases pressure on Putin
US President Donald Trump insisted that Ukraine accept the Russian offer of talks. Zelenskyy went a step further Sunday and put pressure on Putin by offering a personal meeting.
France added its voice to that offer Monday, with Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot urging Putin to accept — though Barrot repeated the European position that a truce must be in place before the talks.
Russia's failure to join the ceasefire offered by Ukraine would bring further sanctions on Moscow, European leaders say. Germany on Monday reminded Russia of that intention.
“The clock is ticking. There are 12 hours until the end of the day and, if the ceasefire doesn't stand by then, the European side will keep to the agreement” to implement further sanctions, German government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius said.
Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said that giving ultimatums to Russia was “unacceptable” and wouldn't work.
"You cannot talk to Russia in this language,” he told reporters.
Also Monday, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy was hosting in London senior diplomatic officials from France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Poland and the European Union to discuss how best to fight back against Russian aggression.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that he expected the two sides to reach a compromise in coming days that might break the deadlock over whether talks could begin without a truce in place.
Russian and Ukrainian officials are mindful of public opinion in their countries and are trying to secure the support of the United States for their stances, he said in explaining the delay.
Ukrainians react to peace prospects
In Kyiv, residents expressed a mixture of hope and despondency at the latest peace efforts.
Putin doesn't want a truce to halt the war, because “it will mean that he has lost,” Antonina Metko, 43, told The Associated Press. “That is why they are postponing it. And everything will continue in the same way. Unfortunately.”
Vladyslav Nehrybetskyi, 72, was more upbeat, saying that “the seeds” of a peace agreement are being sown, even though “a difficult process” lies ahead. “So let's hope.”
Ukraine's government has tried to keep up the momentum for a peace deal started by the Trump administration.
“Ukraine wants to end this war and is doing everything for this,” Zelenskyy said on Telegram Monday. “We expect appropriate steps from Russia.”
The Ukrainian leader said that he told Pope Leo XIV about peace efforts during his first phone conversation with the new pontiff.
Ukraine is counting on the Vatican's help in securing the return of thousands of children that the government says have been deported by Russia, Zelenskyy said, adding that he had invited the pope to visit Ukraine.
In his first Sunday noon blessing as pontiff, Leo called for a genuine and just peace in Ukraine.
“I carry in my heart the sufferings of the beloved Ukrainian people,” he said.
In 2022, in the war's early months, Zelenskyy repeatedly called for a personal meeting with Putin but was rebuffed, and eventually enacted a decree declaring that holding negotiations with him had become impossible.
Putin and Zelenskyy have only met once, in 2019. Trump says that “deep hatred” between the sides has made it difficult to push peace efforts forward.