Two New Judges Join Madras High Court, Raising Bench to 67

Two judges were sworn in at the Madras High Court on Thursday, raising its working strength from 65 to 67. Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari administered the oath to Justices D. Lingeswaran and B. Karthikeyan. Their elevation brings the court’s total judges to 67 out of a sanctioned strength of 75, with 56 permanent judges and the remaining serving as additional judges on fixed tenures. Advocate General Vijay Narayan introduced the new judges at the ceremony. Justice D. Lingeswaran comes from Radhapuram Taluk in Tirunelveli district and entered the district judiciary in January 2014. Justice B. Karthikeyan is a native of Thanjavur district and also became a district judge in January 2014. Both have served in several districts across Tamil Nadu in various judicial capacities before their promotion. ## Context The Madras High Court serves the state of Tamil Nadu and is authorized for 75 judges. Adding two judges helps the bench cope with its large caseload and aims to reduce case backlogs. Permanent judges remain until retirement, while additional judges hold office for a limited term.