Chennai: Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari, who assumed charge as the 55th Chief Justice of Madras high court on Friday, assured the Bar that he will ensure dignified proceedings in the court and that judgments by the court’s benches are robust.“The Bench and the Bar are often described as two wheels of the same chariot; however, I prefer to see us (Bar and Bench) as partners in the quest. A judge is only as good as the assistance he receives from the Bar,” Chief Justice Dharmadhikari said. He added that the Madras Bar has a legendary reputation for being fiercely independent, scholarly, earnest, and delightfully witty. “My focus will remain on three core spheres – reduction of pendency, technology and accessibility, and empowering the junior Bar,” Chief Justice Dharmadhikari said.“May we work together to ensure that this court remains the beacon of fairness, integrity, and hope,” he said, accepting the welcome address of advocate-general P S Raman on behalf of the Bar. Earlier, at 12.30pm, Governor of Tamil Nadu R N Ravi administered the oath of office to Chief Justice Dharmadhikari, at a brief event at the Lok Bhavan.Chief Justice Dharmadhikari, transferred from Kerala high court, succeeds Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava, who retired on Thursday. A native of Raipur in Chhattisgarh, Chief Justice Dharmadhikari obtained his bachelor’s degree in commerce and law from Nagpur University and enrolled as an advocate in the Madhya Pradesh court in 1992.
