Demanding to uphold the principles of social justice and inclusivity in appointment of judges to Madras High Court, senior advocates headed by former Madras High Court Judge Justice D. Hariparanthaman raised slogans and started a signature campaign on district court premises here on Saturday.
In the letter written to the Chief Justice of India and the Chief Justice of Madras High Court as part of the signature campaign, they said they sought promotion of inclusivity and upholding of social justice in appointment of judges to Madras High Court, as 11 of the 65 judges were to attain superannuation this year.
They stressed that the judiciary played a pivotal role in upholding the principles of equality, justice and fairness in society.
“It is imperative that our judiciary reflects the rich diversity of our nation. Inclusivity in the judiciary not only ensures representation for all sections of society but also strengthens public trust and confidence in the justice system,” the letter added.
The letter further stated that when there were many communities that were not even represented and some inadequately represented, the brahmin community was represented in the higher judiciary more than what was required.
“For instance, there are 11 brahmin judges in Madras High Court. Of them, nine are elevated from the Bar. The percentage of brahmin advocates who are elevated from the Bar is 27% of the total number of judges elevated from the bar,” they said.
The majority of population in Tamil Nadu belonged to Thevar, Vanniyar and SC/ST communities and representation from these communities in the higher judiciary was inadequate. Some major castes such as Kondayan Kottai Maravar, Arunthathiyar and Pirmalai kallar were never represented in the High Court.
“We do not make a plea to not appoint any brahmin judges to the higher judiciary, but we just pray that there should not be domination of a single community. Appointing more brahmin judges in such circumstances would only create adverse effects and further exacerbate the existing disparity,” it added.
In line with former Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud’s statement on the need for diversity on the bench to earn the trust of people, Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and other bar councils request for equal representation should be considered, the letter said.
Henri Tiphagne, executive director, People’s Watch, and S. Vanchinathan, advocate, were among those present.
Published - February 22, 2025 09:18 pm IST
