JUSTICE R. MAHADEVAN
Date of Birth : 10-06-1963
Assumed Office : 18-07-2024
Retires on: 09-06-2028
Justice R. Mahadevan was born on June 10, 1963, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. His father, Maa. Aranganathan, was a government employee in Tamil Nadu’s health department and a prolific Tamil writer. Aranganathan authored seven novels, 200 short stories, and ran a self-funded magazine, Mundril. In honor of his father’s legacy, Justice Mahadevan now operates a trust in his memory.
Justice Mahadevan pursued his legal studies at Madras Law College, Chennai, and enrolled with the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry in 1989.
Justice Mahadevan began his legal practice at the Madras High Court, focusing on indirect taxes, customs, and central excise matters. Over a career spanning two decades, he built an extensive practice in civil, criminal, and writ cases.
In addition to his private practice, Justice Mahadevan represented the government in various capacities. He served as Additional Government Pleader (Taxes) for Tamil Nadu, Additional Standing Counsel for the Union Government, and Senior Panel Counsel for the Union Government at the Madras High Court. Remarkably, he handled over 9,000 cases before transitioning to the judiciary.
Justice Mahadevan was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Madras High Court on October 25, 2013, and was elevated to a Permanent Judge on April 14, 2015.
Following the retirement of Chief Justice S.V. Gangapurwala, Justice Mahadevan assumed the role of Acting Chief Justice of the Madras High Court on May 24, 2024. He held this position until July 2024, when the Supreme Court Collegium recommended his elevation to the Supreme Court.
Justice Mahadevan’s elevation marks a significant milestone as he is the first Chief Justice of the Madras High Court to be appointed to the Supreme Court in six years. Between 2008 and 2018, all sitting Chief Justices of the Madras High Court were elevated to the Supreme Court.
READ ALSO:The Bar Council of India: A Comprehensive Overview of Its Powers and Functions
On July 16, 2024, the Department of Justice notified Justice Mahadevan’s appointment, and he is set to assume office on July 18, 2024. This will be his first judicial posting outside Tamil Nadu.
