The Supreme collegium headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud on Thursday recommended the names of five additional judges for appointment as permanent judges of the Madras High Court.
The collegium, which also comprises Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Sanjiv Khanna, met today. The collegium’s decision was uploaded on the apex court’s website later in the day.
The five additional judges whose names have been recommended are –Justices A A Nakkiran, Nidumolu Mala, S Sounthar, Sunder Mohan, and Kabali Kumaresh Babu.
On June 20, 2023, the collegium of the Madras High Court had unanimously recommended their appointment as permanent judges of that high court.
The chief minister and the governor of Tamil Nadu have concurred in the above recommendation, the apex court collegium said in a statement.
“In terms of the Memorandum of Procedure, we have consulted a judge of the Supreme Court conversant with the functioning of the Madras High Court with a view to ascertain the suitability of the above Additional Judges for being appointed as permanent judges.
“The Committee of two judges of the Supreme Court constituted by the Chief Justice of India in terms of the Resolution dated October 26, 2017 of the Supreme Court Collegium has assessed the judgments of the above named Additional Judges,” it said.
The collegium said with a view to assessing their merit and suitability for appointment as permanent judges, it scrutinised the material placed on record.
In another decision, the collegium has recommended the names of two additional judges for appointment as permanent judges and for appointment of an additional judge for a fresh term of one year.
“Justice Anant Ramanath Hegde and Justice Kannankuzhyil Sreedharan Hemalekha, Additional Judges, be appointed as permanent judges of the High Court of Karnataka against the existing vacancies.
“Justice Siddaiah Rachaiah, instead of being appointed as permanent judge, may be appointed as an Additional Judge for a fresh term of one year with effect from November 8, 2023,” the collegium said