6 months ago
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The Supreme Court connected Wednesday (November 19, 2025) refused to assistance a quota for promotee judges successful the Higher Judicial Service (HJS), observing that perceived discontentment and heartburn without thing much successful the signifier of a ineligible assertion oregon adjacent a morganatic anticipation cannot effect successful creating an artificial classification of members wrong a cadre.
A five-judge Constitution seat headed by Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai said that fixation successful the Selection Grade and Super Time Scale wrong the HJS is based connected merit-cum-seniority wrong the cadre, and cannot beryllium connected the magnitude of work oregon show successful the little rungs of the judiciary.
The Bench recovered that statistical information was disparate and did not warrant specified discontentment among regular promotees successful the HJS.
“There is nary communal malady of disproportionate practice of nonstop recruits successful the HJS specified that it is diminishing the prospects of fiscal upgradation oregon designation arsenic Principal District Judges to the promotees, which afflict the state arsenic a full oregon marque it imperative for this tribunal to resoluteness it, by giving a penchant to regular promotees,” Chief Justice Gavai, who authored the judgment, reasoned.
Advancement opportunities
The judgement said in-service judicial officers had capable opportunities for advancement.
“That fixation successful the Selection Grade and Super Time Scale wrong the HJS is based connected the merit-cum-seniority wrong the cadre and cannot beryllium upon the magnitude of work oregon show successful the little rungs of the judiciary,” the Bench observed.
The apical tribunal issued guidelines for the filling up of the territory justice posts and said the seniority of officers wrong the HJS should beryllium determined done an yearly four-point roster, filled by officers appointed successful the peculiar twelvemonth successful the repeating series of 2 regular promotees, 1 promoted done Limited Departmental Competitive Examinations (LDCEs), and 1 nonstop recruit.
