Judiciary – Supreme Court Collegium Clears 19 Appointments for Madras High Court
Judiciary – The Supreme Court Collegium has approved the appointment of 19 advocates and judicial officers to the Madras High Court, marking a significant development in the ongoing process of strengthening the higher judiciary in India.
The decision was taken during a meeting of the Collegium chaired by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on May 18. According to an official statement issued on Tuesday, the recommendations relate to multiple proposals submitted over the past several months for elevation to the Madras High Court Bench.
Judicial Officers Among Approved Candidates
The Collegium cleared the names of six judicial officers whose proposals were originally submitted on November 4, 2025. Those approved for appointment include Dr P. Murugan, M.D. Sumathi, S. Alli, C. Thirumagal Chandrasekar, Dharmalingam Lingeswaran, and Karthikeyan Balathandayutham.
The statement issued by the apex court confirmed that the recommendations were finalised during the meeting held earlier this week. The appointments are part of a broader exercise aimed at filling vacancies and improving judicial functioning in the Madras High Court.
Six Advocates Recommended for Elevation
In another set of approvals linked to a proposal dated November 21, 2025, the Collegium recommended six advocates for appointment as High Court judges. The advocates whose names received approval are Natarajan Ramesh, G.K. Muthukumaar, Ramakrishnan Rajesh Vivekananthan, Sankaranarayanan Raveekumar, Nagarajan Dilip Kumar, and Ellappan Manoharan.
The elevation of advocates directly to High Courts is a long-established practice within the Indian judicial system, intended to bring experienced legal professionals into constitutional courts.
Additional Names Also Cleared
The Collegium also approved another proposal dated December 7, 2025, recommending four advocates for elevation to the Madras High Court. These include Krishnaswamy Govindarajan, Rajnish Pathiyil, K. Appadurai, also known as Kandavel Appadurai, and Ramasamy Anitha.
In addition, three judicial officers were cleared under a separate recommendation dated December 10, 2025. The officers approved are Shanmugam Karthikeyan, Baluchamy Murugesan, and N. Gunasekaran.
With these approvals, a total of 19 individuals have now been recommended for appointment to the Madras High Court.
How the Collegium Appointment Process Works
The Supreme Court Collegium is responsible for recommending appointments and transfers involving judges in the higher judiciary. It is headed by the Chief Justice of India and includes the senior-most judges of the Supreme Court.
Under the existing Memorandum of Procedure governing High Court appointments, the process begins at the level of the concerned High Court. The Chief Justice of the High Court initiates the proposal after consulting the two senior-most judges of that court.
Once finalised at the state level, the recommendation is sent to the Chief Minister, who forwards it to the Governor. The proposal is then transmitted to the Union Ministry of Law and Justice along with supporting records and observations.
Final Approval Lies With the President
After scrutiny by the Central government, the file is placed before the Chief Justice of India and members of the Collegium for consideration. Once the Collegium gives its approval, the recommendations are sent back to the Centre for further action.
The appointments officially come into effect only after the President of India signs the warrants of appointment. The Department of Justice subsequently issues the formal notification in the Gazette of India.
The latest approvals are expected to help address vacancies in the Madras High Court and support faster disposal of pending cases.