In a recent development, the Central government has officially announced the appointment of two advocates, N Senthilkumar and G Arul Murugan, as additional judges to the Madras High Court. This notification reveals that both Senthilkumar and Murugan will hold their positions as Additional Judges for a duration of two years.
The appointment is in accordance with the authority vested in the government by Article 224(1) of the Indian Constitution. The notification specifies that Senthilkumar and Murugan will assume their roles in order of seniority.
These appointments were initially recommended by the Madras High Court Collegium on August 3, 2022. Subsequently, on July 18 of the same year, the Supreme Court Collegium passed a resolution, indicating that both the State government and the Governor had concurred with the elevation of these advocates to the High Court.
The elevation of N Senthilkumar, belonging to the Scheduled Caste, was seen as an opportunity to enhance the representation of marginalized communities on the High Court Bench, as noted in the July resolution. Similarly, the elevation of advocate G Arul Murugan, representing the OBC category, was viewed as a step to provide increased OBC representation in the higher judiciary.
This significant move aims to promote diversity and inclusivity within the judiciary while bringing legal expertise to the Madras High Court.
