NEW DELHI: In an important decision, the Supreme Court Collegium in its meeting held on February 26, 2026, recommended the appointment of Kerala High Court Judge Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari as the next Chief Justice of the Madras High Court.
The decision to recommend Justice Dharmadhikari was taken keeping in view the fact that incumbent Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Srivastava retires on March 5. It said Justice Dharmadhikari’s appointment will take effect from March 6.
“The Collegium has taken a policy decision that in order to strengthen the efficiency and quality of administration of justice, a Judge who is proposed to take over the High Court as its Chief Justice may be transferred well in advance, preferably two months before the vacancy arises, so that such recommendee in the meantime becomes well conversant with the affairs of that High Court and assumes charge of the office of Chief Justice on the retirement of incumbent Chief Justice,” the SC Collegium said in a statement.
It further added that the Collegium has resolved to recommend transfer of Justice Lisa Gill, Judge of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana, to the High Court of Andhra Pradesh and for her appointment as the Chief Justice of that High Court with effect from the date the vacancy arises.
In another similar development, the SC Collegium also approved proposals for appointment of the following advocates as judges of the High Court of Judicature at Patna: (i) Md. Nadim Seraj, (ii) Ranjan Kumar Jha, (iii) Kumar Manish, (iv) Sanjeev Kumar, (v) Girijish Kumar, (vi) Alok Kumar, (vii) Raj Kumar, (viii) Rana Vikram Singh, and (ix) Vikash Kumar.