Key Points
Justices Shakthivel and Dhanabal take permanent judicial roles
Both hail from Karur with extensive judicial experience
Sworn in by Madras HC Chief Justice K.R. Shriram
Recommended by Supreme Court Collegium in February
Shakthivel and Justice P. Dhanabal as permanent judges of the court. The Supreme Court Collegium had passed a resolution on February 20, recommending the appointment of these two judges as permanent judges of the Madras High Court.
Justice Shakthivel hails from Karur and completed his Bachelor of Law (BL) from Government Law College, Tiruchirappalli, in 1997. He enrolled as an advocate in 1998 and joined the district judiciary in 2011 through direct recruitment. Over the years, he has served as a district judge in multiple locations across Tamil Nadu. He was the Additional District Judge in Thanjavur and Coimbatore and later became the Principal District Judge of Coimbatore and Krishnagiri. Justice Shakthivel has also held key administrative roles, including serving as the Administrative General and Official Trustee (AGOT) of Tamil Nadu. Additionally, he was the Registrar General of the Madras High Court.
Justice Dhanabal, also from Karur, completed his Bachelor of Law degree in 1998 from Tiruchirappalli. He enrolled as an advocate in the same year and joined the judicial service in 2011. He initially served as an Additional District Munsiff before being promoted to Additional District Sub Judge at Dharmapuri. He later served as the III Additional District Judge, II Additional District Judge, and I Additional District Judge of Tirunelveli. His judicial tenure also includes assignments in Cuddalore and Puducherry. Additionally, he held the position of Registrar General of the Madras High Court.
On February 12, the President appointed Justice Venkatachari Lakshminarayanan and Justice Periyasamy Vadamalai, both serving as Additional Judges of the Madras High Court, as permanent judges. Their appointments take effect from the date they assume office. The Supreme Court Collegium, chaired by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, had recommended their appointment during its meeting on February 5.
