Filling Up Of Vacancies In Lower Judiciary: SC Directs States, HCs To Submit The Status Report On July 30, Summons Law Secretaries And Registrars

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked all States and Union Territories, and Registrar General of the jurisdictional High Courts to submit details of filling up of the vacancies in different cadres of the District and subordinate judicial services.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi has asked the concerned authority to inform the position with regard to filling up of the vacancies in the judicial service(s) in each State, unto June 30. The reports will be considered by the court on the next date of hearing, July 30.

The Court has also directed that Law Secretaries of each of the States and the Registrar Generals of each of the High Courts shall be personally present in Court on the date fixed i.e. 30.7.2019.

The court directed the authorities to indicate details about the total strength of each cadre; the number of posts in different cadres actually filled up; the number of posts in each cadre lying vacant; the number of posts in respect of which selection is presently going on and the stage of the said process of selection, and finally, the number of posts in different cadres for which the process of selection is yet to be initiated.

The court also asked views from the four amicus curiae appointed for the four groups of state/union territories, created by an earlier order. It directed Law Secretaries of each of the States and the Registrar Generals of each of the High Courts to personally remain present in court, on the next date of hearing. The direction was given during the hearing of a suo-motu petitions, monitoring the filling of vacancies in the lower judiciary and allocation of funds for infrastructure.

Senior Advocate Vijay Hansaria who has been appointed as amicus curiae, also submitted a report dealing with Central Funding on infrastructure of subordinate judiciary. It has now asked, Solicitor General of India, Tushar Mehta, to inform the view of the government. "Mr. Mehta, learned Solicitor General is granted time until 31.7.2019 to interact with the concerned officials of the Union of India and to lay before the Court the views of the Union of India with regard to the aforesaid suggestions made by the learned amicus curiae." 

Read the Order Here