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Four ad hoc judges for Court

A. Subramani

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court is to appoint four retired judges of the court as ad hoc judges on one or two-year terms.

Four names have been finalised and forwarded to the Supreme Court for approval.

According to sources, the names of Justice R. Balasubramanian, who is scheduled to attain superannuation next month, has been recommended along with that of three former Judges –— Justice A. Ramamurthy, Justice P. Shanmugam and Justice M. Thanikachalam.

Article 224-A of the Constitution empowers the Chief Justice of a High Court to request any person, who had held the office of a Judge of a High Court, “to sit and act” as a Judge of that court. During their tenure of “sitting and acting,” the ad hoc judge “shall be entitled to such allowances as the President may determine, and have all the jurisdiction, powers and privileges” of a High Court Judge.

Their role, however, is confined only to judicial matters, and they would not be entitled to participate in Full Court meetings or any other administrative activities.

For the appointment of ad hoc judges, the Chief Justice needs to forward the list directly to the Chief Justice of India. The process is simpler and faster than the one required for the appointment of a regular judge as there is no mandatory need to obtain comments from the State or Central Government.

Appointment of an ad hoc judge is not new to the Madras High Court, where Justice Venugopal served as an ad hoc judge in the eighties.

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