SC Collegium recommends elevation of 3 judicial officers as judges of Madras HC [Read Recommendation]

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Collegium on Tuesday recommended for the elevation of three judicial officers as judges of the Madras High Court. It also recommended for making five additional judges as permanent in the same High Court.

Three-member Collegium body, led by the Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and Justices Sanjiv Khanna and B R Gavai, on September 10, recommended three judicial officers namely R Poornima; M Jothiraman; and Augustine Devadoss Maria Clete, for elevation to the High Court.

On April 23 this year, the Madras HC Collegium had recommended their names for elevation to the HC. The SC Collegium also recommended their names for their appointments as HC judges.

"On April 23, 2024, the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court in consultation with his two senior-most colleagues recommended the elevation of the Judicial Officers. We have duly taken note of the views of the Chief Minister and the Governor of the State of Tamil Nadu. In order to ascertain the fitness and suitability of the above-named persons for persons for elevation to the High Court, we have consulted a Judge of the SC conversant with the affairs of the Madras High Court," the SC Collegium said in a statement.

The SC Collegium said that for the purpose of assessing the merit and suitability of the candidates for elevation to the High Court, it has scrutinised and evaluated the material placed on record.

The additional judges recommended for making permanent are Justice Lekshmana Chandra Victoria Gowri, Justice Pillaipakkam Bahukutumbi Balaji, Justice Kandhasami Kulandaivelu Ramakrishnan, Smt Justice Ramachandran Kalaimathi, and Smt Justice K Govindarajan Thilakavadi against the existing vacancies.

Notably, the appointment of Justice Gowri as an additional judge of the high court last year had created controversy. Before her elevation as an additional judge, several members of the bar had written to the Chief Justice of India flagging her alleged hate speeches and affiliation to the BJP.

On February 7, 2023, the top court had refused to entertain pleas seeking to restrain Gowri from taking oath as an additional judge of the Madras High Court, saying a "consultative process" had taken place before her name was recommended by the Collegium for appointment.

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