SC Collegium Recommends 19 New Judges for Madras High Court: Full List and Appointment Process

The Supreme Court Collegium headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant on May 18, 2026, approved the recommendation of 19 persons for appointment as judges of the Madras High Court. The recommendations include 9 judicial officers being elevated from the district judiciary and 10 advocates being appointed directly from the Bar. The Madras High Court currently has a working strength of 52 judges against a sanctioned strength of 75, leaving 23 vacancies. These appointments, once processed by the Union Ministry of Law and Justice, will significantly strengthen the judicial capacity of one of India's oldest and busiest High Courts.

Advocates Recommended for Elevation to Madras High Court

The Collegium approved the names of ten advocates for appointment as judges of the Madras High Court. The recommended advocates include P Murugan, MD Sumathi, S Alli, C Thirumagal Chandrasekar, Dharmalingam Lingeswaran, Karthikeyan Balathandayutham, Natarajan Ramesh, GK Muthukumaar, Ramakrishnan Rajesh Vivekananthan, and Sankaranarayanan Raveekumar. The selection of advocates from the Bar is significant because it brings practicing legal professionals with diverse specialisations and courtroom experience directly into the judiciary. Advocates appointed to the High Court typically have at least 10 to 15 years of practice and are known for their competence, integrity, and standing in the legal community. The inclusion of both men and women advocates in the recommended list reflects the ongoing effort to improve gender diversity on the bench.

Judicial Officers Elevated from District Judiciary

The nine judicial officers recommended for elevation include Krishnaswamy Govindarajan, Rajnish Pathiyil, K Appadurai alias Kandavel Appadurai, Ramasamy Anitha, Shanmugam Karthikeyan, Baluchamy Murugesan, N Gunasekaran, Nagarajan Dilip Kumar, and Ellappan Manoharan. Elevation of judicial officers from the district judiciary is mandated under the Collegium system, which requires that a proportion of High Court appointments come from the subordinate judiciary. These officers typically have extensive trial court experience, often spanning 15 to 25 years, and bring ground-level understanding of how the justice delivery system functions at the district and sub-district levels. Their appointment strengthens the connection between the higher judiciary and the trial courts, as elevated officers carry practical knowledge of the challenges faced by the subordinate judiciary.

How the Collegium Appointment Process Works

The process for appointing High Court judges begins with the Chief Justice of the concerned High Court initiating proposals in consultation with two senior-most judges of that court. These proposals are forwarded to the state government for its views and to the Intelligence Bureau for background checks. The proposals then reach the Supreme Court Collegium, comprising the Chief Justice of India and the four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court. The Collegium considers the merit, seniority, integrity, and suitability of each candidate. Once the Collegium approves the names, the recommendations are forwarded to the Union Ministry of Law and Justice. The Ministry may seek reconsideration by returning the names to the Collegium, but if the Collegium reiterates its recommendation, the government is constitutionally bound to accept it. The formal appointment is made by the President of India through a warrant of appointment. The entire process from initial proposal to formal appointment can take several months to over a year.

Vacancy Crisis in Indian High Courts

The recommendation of 19 judges for the Madras High Court addresses a chronic vacancy problem that affects High Courts across India. As of May 2026, Indian High Courts collectively have over 350 vacancies against a total sanctioned strength of approximately 1,114 judges. The Madras High Court's 23 vacancies represent a 30% shortfall, which directly impacts the court's ability to dispose of cases and contributes to growing pendency. The CJI has repeatedly emphasised the need to fill vacancies expeditiously, and the batch recommendation of 19 judges for a single High Court is among the largest in recent years. The pendency of cases in the Madras High Court stands at over 7 lakh cases, and the additional judges are expected to help reduce backlog, particularly in civil appeals and writ petitions that constitute the bulk of pending matters.

Key Takeaways

The Collegium's recommendation of 19 judges for the Madras High Court is a significant step toward addressing the judiciary's vacancy crisis. The balanced mix of advocates and judicial officers ensures diversity of experience on the bench. Litigants before the Madras High Court can expect some improvement in case disposal timelines once the appointments are formalised. The recommendations now proceed to the Union Ministry of Law and Justice for processing, and the timeline for formal appointment will depend on how quickly the Ministry clears the files. Aspiring judicial officers and advocates should note that the Collegium continues to emphasise merit, integrity, and diversity as key criteria in its recommendations.