Who is Justice GR Swaminathan, now at the centre of a political storm in Parliament?

Justice GR Swaminathan, born in 1968, is a first-generation lawyer who began his practice in Chennai before shifting to the Madurai Bench following its establishment.

Justice GR Swaminathan of the Madras High Court is at the centre of a major political and parliamentary flashpoint, after over 100 MPs from the INDIA bloc moved a notice in the Lok Sabha seeking his removal.

Justice GR Swaminathan, born in 1968, is a first-generation lawyer who began his practice in Chennai before shifting to the Madurai Bench following its establishment. He served as standing counsel for multiple public sector undertakings and was appointed Assistant Solicitor General for the Madurai Bench in 2014.

Elevated as an additional judge of the Madras High Court in June 2017 and later made permanent, Justice Swaminathan has authored more than 52,000 judgments and orders, according to the court’s website. His rulings span key areas including free speech, prisoners’ rights, disability rights and animal welfare.

The INDIA bloc’s impeachment notice, signed by DMK, Congress, Samajwadi Party, and Left MPs, accuses Justice Swaminathan of misconduct and questions his neutrality on the bench. Submitted to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on 9 December, the motion alleges “favouritism” towards a senior advocate and lawyers from a particular community.

The MPs also claim that some of his decisions reflect “a specific political ideology”, which they argue undermines the secular framework of the Constitution.

A judge’s removal requires signatures from at least 100 members of the Lok Sabha or 50 members of the Rajya Sabha.

If the motion is admitted, a committee established under the Judges (Inquiry) Act will examine the charges. Its findings are then placed before both Houses of Parliament, which must vote to approve the motion for the judge to be removed.