Supreme Court Collegium Recommends Names Of Four District Judges For Appointment As Madras HC Judges

The collegium, which comprises Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and KM Joseph, recommended the names of R Sakthivel, P Dhanabal, Chinnasamy Kumarappan, and K Rajasekar.

Supreme Court of India

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New Delhi: The Supreme Court Collegium headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud has recommended the names of four district judges for appointment as judges of the Madras High Court.

The collegium, which comprises Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and KM Joseph, recommended the names of R Sakthivel, P Dhanabal, Chinnasamy Kumarappan, and K Rajasekar.

The resolution dated March 21 stated that the recommendation made by the High Court Collegium on August 10, 2022, for the appointment of the four judicial officers as judges of the Madras High Court has the concurrence of the chief minister and the governor of Tamil Nadu.

The file was received from the Department of Justice on January 5 this year, it said.

"In order to ascertain the fitness and suitability of the above-named judicial officers for elevation to the high court, in terms of the memorandum of procedure, this collegium has consulted the judges of the Supreme Court conversant with the affairs of the Madras High Court," the resolution stated.

In another resolution, the collegium reiterated its earlier recommendation dated July 25, 2022, for the appointment of Senior Advocate Harpreet Singh Brar as a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The collegium said the Collegium of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana on March 10, 2022, recommended Brar's elevation as a judge of the high court which was approved by it on July 25, 2022.

It said the Department of Justice flagged certain issues and referred back the recommendation on November 25, 2022, for reconsideration.

"In view of the opinion of the consultee-judges of this court and the report submitted by the Chief Justice of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana along with minutes of the collegium and papers enclosed with it, and after examining all aspects of the matter, the collegium is of the view that Shri Harpreet Singh Brar is fit and suitable for appointment as a judge of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana.

"The collegium has also taken note of the fact that, besides being a senior advocate, the candidate has a wide-ranging experience of practice before the high court," it said.

With regard to judicial officer Sakthivel's name, the collegium said it took note of the report of the Intelligence Bureau and referred back the proposal to the Department of Justice with a request to furnish, within two weeks, specific material, on the basis of which the report of the Intelligence Bureau was formulated.

The collegium said, on January 24 this year the Department of Justice addressed a communication to the Intelligence Bureau seeking specific inputs in respect of the above-named judicial officer.

"By its communication dated 01 February 2023, the Intelligence Bureau has stated that it does not have any additional inputs in addition to the earlier inputs in respect of the above-named judicial officer. The opinion of the consultee-judges in the Supreme Court indicates that the above-named judicial officer is fit and suitable for appointment as a judge of the high court.

"The Judgment Assessment Committee has rated his judgments as very good. The Department of Justice has indicated that Shri R Sakthivel may be considered for appointment. Hence, in the above backdrop and bearing in mind all the relevant circumstances noted above, the collegium is of the considered opinion that Shri R Sakthivel is fit and suitable for appointment as a judge of the Madras High Court," the resolution said.

For judicial officer Dhanabal, the collegium said the opinion of the consultee-judges in the Supreme Court indicates that the judicial officer is fit and suitable for appointment as a judge of the high court.

"The Judgment Assessment Committee has rated his judgments as very good. The Department of Justice has indicated that Shri P Dhanabal may be considered for appointment. Hence, in the above backdrop and bearing in mind all the relevant circumstances noted above, the Collegium is of the considered opinion that Shri P Dhanabal is fit and suitable for appointment as a Judge of the Madras High Court," the resolution said.

With regard to judicial officer Kumarappan, the collegium said the Judgment Assessment Committee has rated his judgments as very good and the report of the Intelligence Bureau does not contain any material adverse to the candidate.

The consultee-judges have recommended that he is fit and suitable for appointment as a judge of the high court, it said.

For judicial officer Rajasekar, the collegium perused the opinion of the consultee-judges in the Supreme Court and the Judgment Assessment Committee has rated his judgments as very good.

"The Department of Justice has indicated that Shri K Rajasekar may be considered for appointment. Hence, in the above backdrop and bearing in mind all the relevant circumstances noted above, the Collegium is of the considered opinion that Shri K Rajasekar is fit and suitable for appointment as a judge of the Madras High Court," the resolution said. 

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