On Tuesday, the Supreme Court took serious note of the growing dissatisfaction among over 20,000 judicial officers over limited promotional avenues in the judiciary. A Bench of Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran said a balance must be maintained between entry-level judicial officers and advocates directly recruited as District Judges, and referred the issue to a five-judge Constitution Bench for a permanent solution.
Hearing the All India Judges Association case, CJI Gavai observed that a young officer joining as a Civil Judge (Junior Division) at 25 aspires to become a District Judge and later a High Court judge, but very few achieve this due to limited promotions and the growing number of direct recruits. The Bench noted that “some sort of balancing out” is necessary to ensure fairness and efficiency in judicial administration.
Amicus curiae Siddharth Bhatnagar highlighted that many Judicial Magistrates First Class (JMFC) retire without reaching senior positions, proposing the reservation of posts in the Principal District Judge cadre for promotees. Senior Advocate R. Basant, however, opposed the idea, saying it would disadvantage meritorious advocates waiting for direct recruitment.
Referring to the matter, the Bench said that to “put the entire controversy to rest” and consider earlier judgments, the issue must be examined by a Constitution Bench to ensure a balanced and enduring resolution.
Disclaimer: This news/ article includes information received via a syndicated news feed. The original rights remain with the respective publisher.
Picture Source :