R. Banumathi

R. Banumathi (born 20 July 1955) is a former judge of the Supreme Court of India.^[1] She is from Tamil Nadu and the sixth woman to be a judge of the Supreme Court of India.^[2] Earlier, she served as the chief justice of the Jharkhand High Court^[3] and judge of the Madras High Court.^[4][5][6][7] She also served as the chancellor of Maharashtra National Law University, Aurangabad.^[8]

R. Banumathi
Judge of the Supreme Court of India
In office 13 August 2014 – 19 July 2020
Nominated by	Rajendra Mal Lodha
Appointed by	Pranab Mukherjee
Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court
In office 16 November 2013 – 13 August 2014
Nominated by	P. Sathasivam
Appointed by	Pranab Mukherjee
Judge of the Madras High Court
In office 3 April 2003 – 15 November 2013
Nominated by	V. N. Khare
Appointed by	A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
Personal details
Born	(1955-07-20) 20 July 1955 (age 70) Uthangarai

Career

Banumathi joined Tamil Nadu Higher Judicial Service in 1988 as a direct recruit district judge. As a sessions judge, she headed the one-person commission on police excess by Special Task Force in Chinnampathy, Coimbatore district in 1995–96.

In April 2003, she was elevated as a judge of the Madras High Court. She dealt with the case on banning Jallikattu or bull hugging sport.^{[citation needed]} In November 2013, she was transferred to the Jharkhand High Court as chief justice of that court. In August 2014, she was elevated to the Supreme Court of India after her name had been recommended for the post by the collegium headed by then Chief Justice R M Lodha. She became only the second woman sessions judge to rise to the country's highest court.^[7][9]