Supreme Court Collegium recommends New Chief Justices for Madras and Andhra Pradesh High Courts

The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari as the next Chief Justice of the Madras High Court and proposed the transfer of Justice Lisa Gill to the Andhra Pradesh High Court for appointment as Chief Justice. The move comes ahead of impending vacancies and signals a strategic push to streamline judicial administration at the leadership level.

At its meeting on February 26, 2026, the Collegium cleared Justice Dharmadhikari, currently serving in the Kerala High Court with parent cadre Madhya Pradesh, to head the Madras High Court following the scheduled retirement of the incumbent Chief Justice on March 5, 2026. In a parallel decision, Justice Lisa Gill of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has been recommended for transfer to the Andhra Pradesh High Court, where she is set to assume charge as Chief Justice once the vacancy arises. The decisions are part of a broader administrative calibration aimed at ensuring continuity in high court leadership.

Explaining the approach, the Collegium recorded that it has adopted a policy to improve “efficiency and quality of judicial administration,” under which a judge slated for elevation as Chief Justice may be transferred to the concerned High Court about two months before the post falls vacant.

The objective is to allow the incoming Chief Justice to familiarize herself or himself with the court’s functioning and administrative framework before formally taking charge. Acting in line with this policy, the Collegium recommended Justice Gill’s advance transfer and cleared Justice Dharmadhikari’s elevation to Madras.