Born on July 20, 1955, Justice Banumathi enrolled as an Advocate on January 7, 1981. She practiced in Mofussil Courts at Tirupattur, Krishnagiri, and Harur in Tamil Nadu. In 1988, she joined the Tamil Nadu Higher Judicial Service as a direct recruit District Judge and served as District and Sessions Judge in various districts of the State.
Justice Banumathi was elevated as a Judge of the High Court of Madras on April 3, 2003. She played a key role in organizing systematic training programs for judicial officers and staff members as a Member and President of the Board of Governors in the State Judicial Academy. She authored the book “Hand Book of Civil and Criminal Courts Management and Use of Computers” for the guidance of the District Judiciary and published Hand Books for the guidance of Judicial Ministerial Staff.
Justice Banumathi served as the Executive Chairman of the Tamil Nadu State Legal Services with effect from July 15, 2013. She was the Chairman of the Madras High Court Legal Services Committee from February 21, 2011, to January 20, 2012, and was actively involved in Legal Services and organizing Lok Adalats. She was sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court on November 16, 2013. She was instrumental in improving the infrastructure of the District Judiciary and in the recruitment and filling of vacancies for Ministerial Staff. She published Hand Books for the guidance of judicial officers and staff members. Justice Banumathi was elevated as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India on August 13, 2014.
