Supreme Court Collegium Recommends Justice SA Dharmadhikari as Next Madras High Court Chief Justice

In a significant development, the Supreme Court Collegium has recommended Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari as the next Chief Justice of the Madras High Court. The recommendation was made in view of the impending retirement of the present Chief Justice, Justice Manindra Mohan Srivastava.

Justice Srivastava is scheduled to retire on March 5. The appointment of Justice Dharmadhikari will take effect from March 6, ensuring that there is no administrative vacuum in the High Court’s leadership.

Currently serving as a judge of the Kerala High Court, Justice Dharmadhikari originally belongs to the Madhya Pradesh High Court. His elevation as Chief Justice marks another important transition within the higher judiciary.

The decision was taken during a meeting of the Supreme Court Collegium held on February 26, 2026. The Collegium, headed by the Chief Justice of India along with senior-most judges, is responsible for recommending appointments and transfers of judges in the higher judiciary.

Born on July 8, 1966, in Raipur, Justice Dharmadhikari began his legal practice in 1992. He built a long career at the Madhya Pradesh High Court, where he practised for more than two decades in civil, criminal and constitutional matters.

Over the years, he also represented several important government bodies. He served as Standing Counsel for the Union of India from 2000 to 2015. In addition, he appeared for the Income Tax Department, the Reserve Bank of India, Central Excise authorities and various Public Sector Undertakings.

He was appointed as an additional judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on April 7, 2016. Subsequently, he became a permanent judge on March 17, 2018. His transfer to the Kerala High Court took place on April 23, 2025.

Along with this recommendation, the Collegium also introduced a broader administrative policy aimed at improving the functioning of High Courts across the country. The move seeks to make leadership transitions more structured and efficient.

Under the newly announced approach, a judge who is proposed to become Chief Justice of a High Court may be transferred in advance, ideally two months before the vacancy arises. This would allow the incoming Chief Justice to understand the court’s internal processes and administrative structure.

According to the Collegium, this step is meant to ensure that the recommended judge becomes “well conversant with the affairs of that High Court and assumes charge of the office of Chief Justice on the retirement of the incumbent Chief Justice.”

The recommendation of Justice Dharmadhikari and the introduction of this policy signal an effort to maintain continuity and strengthen judicial administration at the High Court level.