Madras High Court to get six new Justices, earlier list of 30 names still lying with SC collegium

March,30,2016:

As against the sanctioned strength of 75 judges, the court as on date has only 34 judges.

The Madras High Court will receive six new judges shortly, as the Rashtrapathi Bhavan has asked six of nine candidates recommended by the court collegium to sign their names in Devanagari script.

Of the six new judges, four -- Barathidasan, M V Muralidaran, S Krishnakumar and S S Sunder -- have been elevated from the Bar and two -- B Gokuldas and P Kalaiyarasan -- are senior district judges from subordinate judiciary.

Signing in Devanagari precedes release of warrant of appointment of new judges.

These appointments could not have come at a better juncture for the Madras high court which has been battling severe shortage of judges. As against the sanctioned strength of 75 judges, the court as on date has only 34 judges. Another list of 30 names is said to have already been forwarded to the Supreme Court by the high court collegium.

In the present list, Gokuldas, who retired as chief judge of a court of small causes last year, is returning to service to hold the constitutional post for less than two years. While the retirement age of district judges is 60, it is 62 in the case of high court judges.

The last time Madras high court witnessed a swearing in function of a new judge was on December 21, 2013, when Justice V M Velumani joined the bench.

These appointment have come more than a year after the collegium headed by Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul forwarded a list of nine names that included three senior most district judges.

The three other candidates on the list were N L Rajah, L Chandrakumar and district judge Authinathan. Sources told TOI that Rajah was offered appointment with a condition that he accepts transfer to another high court. The senior lawyer is said to have turned down the conditional order.TNN

Related News @ LatestLaws.in-

16.3.2016- Madras High Court Justice says, ‘Judiciary still has an element of feudal mindset’

16.2.2016- Justice CS Karnan of Madras High Court tries to make bridges, meets Chief Justice of India

15.2.2016- Now Madras High Court Judge threatens SC Judges with FIR under SC/ST ( Prevention of Atrocities) Act

15.2.2016- New Low in Judiciary: Madras HC Judge Stays His Own Transfer, asks CJI to Submit Written Statement

14.2.1016- SC Collegium led by CJI cracks down again & transfers more High Court Justices across the country

11.5.2015- SC stays Madras HC Judge’s minacious order against his Chief Justice

1.5.2015- Madras HC stays contempt proceedings against commissioner of police

1.5.2015- ‘Avoid ego and stop acting in an autocratic manner’- High Court Judge tells his Chief Justice