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{{short description|Former Chief Justice of Manipur High Court (2018-2021)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2018}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix = Hon'ble Chief Justice (Retd.)
| name = Ramalingam Sudhakar
| office = President of [[National Company Law Tribunal]]
| term_start = 1 November 2021
| appointer = [[Ram Nath Kovind]]
| predecessor = [[Mahesh Mittal Kumar]]
| office1 = [[List of former chief justices of the high courts of India#Manipur High Court|5th Chief Justice]] of [[Manipur High Court]]
| term_start1 = 18 May 2018
| term_end1 = 13 February 2021
| nominator1 = [[Dipak Misra]]
| appointer1 = [[Ram Nath Kovind]]
| predecessor1 = {{ubl|[[Abhilasha Kumari]]|[[N. Kotiswar Singh|N. K. Singh]] ''(acting)''}}
| successor1 = [[P. V. Sanjay Kumar]]
| office2 = [[Judge]] of [[Jammu and Kashmir High Court]]
| term_start2 = 18 April 2016
| term_end2 = 17 May 2018
| nominator2 = [[T. S. Thakur]]
| appointer2 = [[Pranab Mukherjee]]
| status3 = [[acting (law)|Acting]] [[Chief Justice]]
| term_start3 = 16 March 2018
| term_end3 = 11 May 2018
| appointer3 = [[Ramnath Kovind]]
| predecessor3 = [[Badar Durrez Ahmed]]
| successor3 = {{ubl|[[Gita Mittal]]|[[Alok Aradhe]] ''(acting)''}}
| term_start4 = 15 March 2017
| term_end4 = 31 March 2017
| appointer4 = [[Pranab Mukherjee]]
| predecessor4 = [[N. Paul Vasanthakumar]]
| successor4 = [[Badar Durrez Ahmed]]
| office5 = [[Judge]] of [[Madras High Court]]
| term_start5 = 10 December 2005
| term_end5 = 17 April 2016
| appointer5 = [[A. P. J. Abdul Kalam]]
| nominator5 = [[Yogesh Kumar Sabharwal]]
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1959|02|14|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Vellore]], [[Tamilnadu]]
| alma_mater = [[Loyola College, Chennai]] [[Madras Law College]]<br>[[Madras University]]
| term_end = 13 February 2026
| successor = Deep Chandra Joshi (acting)
}}

'''Ramalingam Sudhakar''' (born 14 February 1959) is a retired Indian judge who served as 5th [[Chief Justice]] of [[Manipur High Court]] from 2018 to 2021. He is also former [[Chief Justice|Acting Chief Justice]] of [[Jammu and Kashmir High Court]] and [[judge]] of [[Jammu and Kashmir High Court]] and [[Madras High Court]].<ref name="dailyexcelsior.com">{{Cite web|url=http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/justice-sudhakar-justice-mir-posted-cjs-manipur-meghalaya/|title = Justice Sudhakar, Justice Mir posted as CJS of Manipur, Meghalaya|date = 27 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://kashmirobserver.net/2018/local-news/justice-m-yaqoob-mir-be-chief-justice-meghalaya-31373 |title=Justice M Yaqoob Mir To Be Chief Justice Of Meghalaya {{!}} Local News {{!}} Kashmir Observer |website=kashmirobserver.net |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181030035857/https://kashmirobserver.net/2018/local-news/justice-m-yaqoob-mir-be-chief-justice-meghalaya-31373 |archive-date=2018-10-30}}</ref> He served as president of [[National Company Law Tribunal]] from 2021<ref>{{Cite web |title=Profile of Hon'ble President and Sitting Members {{!}} National Company Law Tribunal |url=https://nclt.gov.in/nclt-member |access-date=2026-01-23 |website=nclt.gov.in}}</ref> to 2026.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=NCLT President Chief Justice (R) Ramalingam Sudhakar demits office |url=https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2227786 |access-date=16 February 2026 |website=Press Information Bureau}}</ref>

==Life and education==
He was born on 14 February 1959 and hails from [[Panapakkam]], [[Vellore]] District in [[Tamil Nadu]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jkhighcourt.nic.in/cjjk.php |title=Jammu & Kashmir High Court |website=Jkhighcourt.nic.in |date= |accessdate=2017-06-16}}</ref>

Sudhakar had his early schooling done in Don Bosco Matriculation School, [[Egmore]], [[Chennai]]. He graduated from [[St. Mary's Higher Secondary School, Madurai|St. Mary’s Higher Secondary School, Madurai]], completing his school education. He graduated from [[Loyola College, Chennai]] with a college degree. He was conferred a Degree in Law from [[Madras Law College]].<ref name="jkhighcourt1">{{cite web|url=http://jkhighcourt.nic.in/cjjk.php |title=Jammu & Kashmir High Court |publisher=Jkhighcourt.nic.in |date= |accessdate=2017-06-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hcmadras.tn.nic.in/rsj.htm |title=Madras High Court |website=Hcmadras.tn.nic.in |date=1959-02-14 |accessdate=2017-06-16}}</ref>

==Career==
Sudhakar enrolled as an [[advocate]] and started practice as an associate of the senior advocate [[Habibullah Badsha]], former [[Advocate General]] of [[Tamil Nadu]] and [[Public Prosecutor]] of [[Madras High Court]].<ref>{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=2017-11-22 |title=Former Advocate-General Habibullah Badsha no more |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/former-advocate-general-habibullah-badsha-no-more/article20668172.ece |access-date=2026-02-16 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

Sudhakar practised in all branches of law and specialized in the field of Customs, Central Excise and Sales Tax Law. Besides Madras High Court, he also practiced, appeared in cases before the [[High Court of Andhra Pradesh]], [[Karnataka High Court]] and [[Kerala High Court]]. He regularly appeared in matters before the [[Supreme Court of India]] as well.<ref name="autogenerated1959">{{cite web|url=http://www.hcmadras.tn.nic.in/rsj.htm |title=Madras High Court |publisher=Hcmadras.tn.nic.in |date=1959-02-14 |accessdate=2017-06-16}}</ref><ref name="greaterkashmir1">{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/jammu/justice-ramalingam-sudhakar-takes-oath-as-hc-judge/215128.html |title=Justice Ramalingam Sudhakar takes oath as HC Judge |website=Greaterkashmir.com |date=2016-04-18 |accessdate=2017-06-16}}</ref>

==Judgeship==
Sudhakar was elevated to the [[Bench (law)|Bench]] as an Additional Judge of the High Court of Madras on 10 December 2005 and as a Permanent Judge on 20 April 2007. On 18 April 2016, he was appointed a judge of the [[Jammu and Kashmir High Court]]. He was the Acting [[Chief Justice]] of [[Jammu and Kashmir High Court]], from 15 March 2017 to 31 March 2017, after the retirement of former Chief Justice [[N. Paul Vasanthakumar]], until the appointment of the current Chief Justice, [[Badar Durrez Ahmed]].<ref name="jkhighcourt1"/><ref name="greaterkashmir1"/><ref>{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.livelaw.in/justice-paul-vasanthakumar-retires-jk-cj-justice-r-sudhakar-acting-cj/ |title=Justice Paul Vasanthakumar Retires as J&K CJ, Justice R.Sudhakar Acting CJ | Live Law |website=Livelaw.in |date=2017-03-14 |accessdate=2017-06-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author= |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/140216/cs-karnan-r-sudhakar-to-move-out-of-madras-hc.html |title=CS Karnan, R Sudhakar to move out of Madras HC |website=Deccanchronicle.com |date=2016-02-14 |access-date=2017-06-17}}</ref> He once again assumed the role of Acting Chief Justice after the retirement of Justice [[Badar Durrez Ahmed]], on 16 March 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://barandbench.com/justice-ramalingam-sudhakar-appointed-as-chief-justice-of-jk-hc/|title = Justice Ramalingam Sudhakar appointed acting Chief Justice of Jammu & Kashmir HC}}</ref> He was overlooked and [[V. Ramasubramanian]] was chosen over him as a [[Supreme Court Judge|Supreme Court judge]].<ref>{{cite web |date=4 September 2019 |title=Another Judge now objects to SC collegium overlooking seniority |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/another-judge-now-objects-to-sc-collegium-overlooking-seniority/articleshow/70983735.cms?from=mdr |accessdate=6 April 2021 |work=Ajmer Singh |publisher=[[The Economic Times]]}}</ref>

He was elevated as [[Chief Justice]] of [[Manipur High Court]] on 18 May 2018.

He retired on 13 February 2021.<ref name="dailyexcelsior.com"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://theins.in/2018/04/27/present-jk-acting-cj-to-be-chief-justice-of-manipur-hc/|title=Present J&K Acting CJ to be Chief Justice of Manipur HC}}</ref>

He was appointed President of [[National Company Law Tribunal]] on 1 November 2021<ref>{{Cite web |title=Former Manipur High Court Chief Justice Ramalingam Sudhakar appointed NCLT President |url=https://www.barandbench.com/news/ramalingam-sudhakar-nclt-president}}</ref> and served until 13 February 2026.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bench |first=Bar & |date=2026-02-14 |title=Former District Judge Deep Chandra Joshi appointed acting President of NCLT |url=https://www.barandbench.com/news/law-policy/former-district-judge-deep-chandra-joshi-appointed-acting-president-of-nclt |access-date=2026-02-16 |website=Bar and Bench - Indian Legal news |language=en}}</ref>

==Family legacy==
His father, S. T. Ramalingam served as a Judge of the Madras High Court. S. P. Sri Ram, his maternal grandfather, served as a District Judge and retired as Chairman of the [[Sales Tax]] Appellate Tribunal. He hails from a family actively involved in the [[India]]n independence movement.{{citation needed|date=November 2018}} His maternal great-grandfather [[S. P. Ayyaswamy Mudaliar]], a well known [[Civil Engineer]] in the early twentieth century, was an active freedom fighter. During the years of 1939 and 1940 the family hosted several national leaders and freedom fighters at their house.<ref name="autogenerated1959"/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{cite web|url=http://www.hcmadras.tn.nic.in/rsj.htm |title=Madras High Court |website=Hcmadras.tn.nic.in |date=1959-02-14 |accessdate=2017-06-17}}
*{{cite web|url=http://jkhighcourt.nic.in/cjjk.php |title=Jammu & Kashmir High Court |website=Jkhighcourt.nic.in |date= |accessdate=2017-06-17}}
*{{cite web|url=http://zeenews.india.com/news/eco-news/livelihood-of-people-should-be-considered-before-eradicating-karuvelam-trees_1806882.html |title='Livelihood of people should be considered before eradicating Karuvelam trees' | Zee News |website=Zeenews.india.com |date=2015-10-06 |accessdate=2017-06-17}}
*{{cite web|url=http://zeenews.india.com/news/eco-news/hc-on-protective-measures-for-shola-forests_1804997.html |title=HC on protective measures for Shola forests | Zee News |website=Zeenews.india.com |date=2015-10-01 |accessdate=2017-06-17}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sudhakar, R}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1959 births]]
[[Category:People from Vellore district]]
[[Category:Judges of the Madras High Court]]
[[Category:Chief justices of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court]]
[[Category:Chief justices of Manipur High Court]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian judges]]

R Sudhakar - Revision history

Realsouravbiswas: started initial details initial version