CHENNAI: After a year’s delay, seven new judges were appointed on Friday for the Madras High Court. All the new judges are from the Bar and two more advocates recommended by the Supreme Court collegium were not cleared by the union law ministry without specifying any reason.
The seven judges are P T Asha, M Nirmal Kumar, Subramonium Prasad, N Anand Venkatesh, G K Ilanthiraiyan, Krishnan Ramasamy and C Saravanan.
Initially, they will be appointed as additional judges for two years. They have to sign their names in Devanagari script, which precedes release of their warrants of appointment. Later, they will be sworn in by Chief Justice Indira Banerjee. The appointment of additional judges would raise the strength of judges in Madras High Court from 56 to 63. The sanctioned strength is 75.
Initially, the names of 11 lawyers were recommended for elevation by the collegium headed by the then Chief Justice S K Kaul on December 19, 2016. Of these, nine were cleared by the Supreme Court collegium in December 2017. There are two other candidates, whose names had been delinked from the respective lists and decision deferred by the Supreme Court. They are awaiting clearance from Apex court.
The Union Law Ministry on Friday notified the appointment of seven out of the nine, barring additional public prosecutor Emiliyas and Senthil Kumar. Their names have not been cleared so far by the Ministry, without assigning any reason.
The latest list has been delayed for more than a year due to developments in the Supreme Court, including a press conference by four senior judges led by Justice J Chelameswar. It also got stuck due to a tug of war between the Supreme Court and the Centre over the memorandum of procedure in appointing new judges.
With the increase in the number of judges, Bar leaders expect disposal of cases to pick up pace when the court reopens after summer recess on June 4.
Judicial postings
Chennai: S Muruganantham, XIII Additional Judge (CBI cases), City Civil Court, Chennai, has been transferred and posted as IX Additional Judge (CBI cases), CCC, Chennai, G Vijayalakshimi posted as Sessions Judge, Magalir Needhi Mandram (Fast Track Mahila Court) at Villupuram. District Judge J Juliet Pushpa has been transfered to Puducherry Judicial Services. G Sendil Kumar, has been posted as presiding officer, Industrial Tribunal-cum-Labour Court, Puducherry. In total four judges were transfered and posted to judicial establishments under the Madras High Court