Central government appoints two judicial officers as additional judges of Madras High Court

The Central government on Tuesday notified the appointment of two judicial officers - Dharmalingam Lingeswaran and Balathandayutham Karthikeyan - as additional judges of the Madras High Court.

Union Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal announced the appointments on X.

The two judicial officers were recommended for elevation by the Supreme Court Collegium on May 18, 2026.

Their names formed part of a proposal dated November 4, 2025, which was approved by the Collegium along with proposals for the appointment of 17 other advocates and judicial officers as judges of the Madras High Court.

The Collegium had recommended a total of 19 persons - comprising nine judicial officers and ten advocates - for elevation to the High Court.

On August 7, 2026, the Central government cleared 15 of the 19 names recommended by the Collegium. However, Lingeswaran and Karthikeyan were not among those appointed at the time.

The latest appointments come nearly five months after the Supreme Court Collegium recommended the two judicial officers for elevation.