Centre Approves Appointment of Three Additional Judges to Andhra Pradesh High Court

The Central government has approved the appointment of three judicial officers as additional judges of the Andhra Pradesh High Court. The appointments are expected to strengthen the court’s judicial capacity at a time when it continues to function below its sanctioned strength.

The judicial officers appointed to the High Court are Sunitha Gandham, Alapati Giridhar and Purushottam Kumar Chintelapudi. Their elevation was formally cleared by the Centre on Friday, July 3, 2026.

Union Minister of Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal announced the appointments through a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. The announcement follows the completion of the constitutional process involving recommendations and approval by the concerned authorities.

The Supreme Court Collegium had recommended the names of the three judicial officers during its meeting held on May 4, 2026. The Collegium evaluates candidates on factors such as judicial experience, integrity, professional competence and suitability for elevation to the constitutional courts.

Judicial officers are generally elevated to High Courts after serving in the district judiciary for a considerable period. Such appointments recognise their judicial work and help bring valuable trial court experience to the High Court.

The three officers will serve as additional judges following the issuance of formal appointment notifications and completion of the required oath-taking process. Additional judges are appointed under Article 224 of the Constitution of India for a specified period.

Such appointments are generally made to address an increase in court work or to deal with pending cases. Additional judges may later be appointed as permanent judges, subject to the constitutional procedure and further assessment by the Collegium.

The Andhra Pradesh High Court has a sanctioned strength of 37 judges. However, as of July 1, 2026, the court was functioning with 29 judges, leaving eight judicial positions vacant.

The appointment of three additional judges is likely to reduce the vacancy level and increase the number of available Benches. A stronger judicial strength can assist the High Court in managing its regular hearings, urgent matters, appeals and pending cases more effectively.

Vacancies in constitutional courts often affect the speed at which cases are listed and decided. Filling vacant judicial positions remains important for ensuring timely hearings and reducing the pressure on serving judges.

The Andhra Pradesh High Court deals with constitutional, civil, criminal, commercial, service and administrative disputes arising within the State. It also exercises supervisory jurisdiction over the district and subordinate courts operating across Andhra Pradesh.

The latest appointments are therefore significant for the functioning of the State judiciary. Once the three officers assume office, the High Court will be better placed to distribute its workload and address the demands of litigants seeking timely judicial remedies.