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Five of Appointed Permanent by President
The has notified the appointment of five of the as , formalising a process that began with a recommendation from the and culminated in the President’s order. The five justices—Maheswara Rao Kuncheam @ Kuncham, Thoota Chandra Dhana Sekar @ T.C.D. Sekhar, Challa Gunaranjan, Avadhanam Hari Haranadha Sarma, and Dr. Yadavalli Lakshmana Rao—took the at a ceremony held at the High Court premises in Amaravati, administered by Chief Justice Lisa Gill, shortly after the notification was read out.
The Appointment Process
The appointments were made under , which confers on the President the power to appoint judges of High Courts. The ’s notification, dated , states that the President “is pleased to appoint” the five as judges of the “with effect from the date they assume charge of their respective offices.” This step followed the ’s approval in its meeting on and the President’s formal order on .
Who Are the New Judges?
Three of the appointees—Justices Kuncheam, Sekhar, and Gunaranjan—were initially as on , while Justices Sarma and Lakshmana Rao took the additional judge oath on . Their collective experience spans diverse legal backgrounds, from for public sector undertakings to service.
Justice Maheswara Rao Kuncheam, a law graduate from S.V. University, Tirupathi, enrolled as an advocate in 1998 and later served as for entities like the and . Justice Thoota Chandra Dhana Sekar, who obtained his B.L. from V.R. Law College, Nellore, worked as the for Commercial Taxes for Andhra Pradesh before his elevation. Justice Challa Gunaranjan, an enrolled advocate since 2001, served as for the and handled cases for various government undertakings.
Justice Avadhanam Hari Haranadha Sarma brings judicial experience from the lower courts, having been directly recruited as a in 2007 and serving in multiple roles, including . Justice Dr. Yadavalli Lakshmana Rao, who earned a doctorate in law from Andhra University, served as of the High Court before his elevation as an additional judge.
A New Bench for Andhra Pradesh
The ceremony in Amaravati marked a enhancement for the , with the new joining the roster. Chief Justice Lisa Gill administered the oath after the notification was read out, formalising the transition from temporary to permanent tenure. The appointments underscore the , requiring both deliberation and , ensuring a blend of merit and procedural rigor. With these five justices now holding permanent positions, the High Court gains stability and depth from a cohort representing both the bar and the .
