The Supreme Court has allowed the Karnataka High Court to proceed with the recruitment of 158 civil judges, overriding a state government circular that suspended the process due to reservation changes. Emphasizing the need for judicial strength, the court also addressed residential issues for judicial officers in Delhi and outlined upcoming hearings on related judicial infrastructure matters.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday permitted the Karnataka High Court to continue with the recruitment of 158 civil judges, overriding a state government circular that had put the process on hold.
A bench led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Sanjay Kumar and K V Viswanathan issued the direction after learning that the Karnataka government had halted the recruitment process in November 2023 due to changes in reservations under the Karnataka Judicial Service (Recruitment) (Amendment) Rules 2024.
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The bench, while hearing the matter, stated:
“Issue notice, and as an interim measure we direct that the process of direct recruitment of 158 civil judges in Karnataka shall continue notwithstanding the circular …issued by the state government. This order is subject to the final outcome/decision on the application.”
Chief Justice Khanna highlighted the need for increasing judicial strength, stating that the number of subordinate judiciary judges in India had risen from 21,000 to 29,000. He emphasized that states with a significant increase in judges would need to allocate more funds to accommodate the rising demand.
Apart from the Karnataka judicial recruitment issue, the Supreme Court also addressed the problem of residential accommodations for judicial officers in Delhi.
The bench directed the Land And Development Office (L&DO) of the Centre to file an affidavit detailing the current status of land at 206, Rouse Avenue, New Delhi, which is meant for judicial accommodations.
“The Union of India will file an affidavit on the correct position and status of the land located at 206 Rouse Avenue, New Delhi. A copy of this order will be sent to the L&DO office. List in the week commencing April 1, 2025,”
the court ordered.
The Supreme Court was hearing a 2006 plea concerning judicial vacancies and lack of infrastructure in district courts across India. The bench announced that issues related to the district judiciary in Bihar, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi would be taken up in the next hearing.
This ruling marks an important step in ensuring timely recruitment of judges and improving judicial infrastructure to enhance access to justice.
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