Madras High Court to get six new judges next week

The names that were recommended by the collegium headed by the Madras HC Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul have been cleared by the Supreme Court.

Appointment of judges to Madras High Court was delayed following agitation by a section of lawyers seeking caste-based recruitment. File photo

All decks have finally been cleared for the appointment of judges to the Madras High Court, with the President’s office clearing six names from the list of prospective candidates recommended by the High Court’s collegium.

Once the appointments are officially made, the strength of the High Court would increase from 34 to 40.

But still, the court would have a deficit of 35 judges, given its sanctioned strength of 75.

Out of the six new judges, four are from the Bar and two are from the judicial service. V. Bharathidasan, S.S. Sundar, M.V. Muralidharan and D. Krisshnakumar are from the Bar.

P. Kalaiarasan, the present Registrar General of the Madras High Court, and B. Gokuldass, retired Chief Judge of Small Causes Court, Chennai, are being elevated from the judicial service.

All the six are expected to be sworn in by April 7 once the necessary warrant is issued by the President of India.

> Read: Judges, castes and social justice

Mr. Gokuldas (60) is an alumnus of the Madras Christian College. He completed law in Dr. Ambedkar Government Law College, Chennai in 1978.

Mr. Gokuldas joined judicial service in August 1984 as a second Class Judicial Magistrate and was later promoted as a District Judge in 2000. On June 30, 2015 he retired from service as Chief Judge, Court of Small Causes, Chennai.

P. Kalaiarasan (59), who is the Registrar General of the Madras High Court currently, was born on May 1, 1956, in Kullamudaiyanur, Salem district. He holds a post-graduate degree in law. V. Bharathidasan was born on May 7, 1960 in Alathur Village, Thanjavur district. He holds a law degree from Dr. Ambedkar Government Law College, Chennai.

Fifty-two-year-old S.S. Sundar was born on May 3, 1963 in Kootampuli village, Thoothukudi. A law graduate from the Dr. Ambedkar Government Law College, Chennai, he enrolled as an advocate in April 1988. M.V. Muralidharan, who was born on April 16, 1962, is a native of Vellore.

After completing his law degree from the Dr. Ambedkar Government Law College, Chennai, he enrolled as an advocate on September 12, 1990.

An alumnus of the Presidency College, Chennai, he completed law from the Dr. Ambedkar Government Law College, Chennai.

> Read: Justice in judicial appointments