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Today,26th April, The Supreme Court affirmed the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s decision regarding the stringent eligibility criteria for the state’s judicial service entries. The criteria demand that candidates either have a minimum of three years of legal practice or achieve at least 70 percent in their law degree. The court emphasized that these requirements are crucial for ensuring highly qualified candidates and enhancing the quality of judicial services.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India, on Friday, upheld the existing rules that set specific eligibility criteria for candidates aspiring to enter the judicial service in Madhya Pradesh. The criteria in question require candidates to have either a minimum of three years of legal practice or to have achieved at least 70 percent marks in their law degree. The case, involved petitions that sought to challenge these eligibility requirements.
A panel comprising Justices Hrishikesh Roy and Prashant Kumar Mishra ruled in favor of maintaining these standards, thereby affirming a prior judgment by the Madhya Pradesh High Court. This decision highlights the judiciary’s stance on maintaining a benchmark of qualification and experience for entry into the judicial services, emphasizing the importance of competence and thorough legal education in the administration of justice.
The ruling thereby dismisses any objections to the criteria, solidifying the prerequisites as essential for candidates seeking judicial appointments in the state.
During the course of the hearing, Justice Roy commented on the necessity of the eligibility requirements, stating,
“We are not going to entertain this. It took years of learning and experience to establish these rules. This is to ensure better judicial candidates. Their future is not doomed,”
Highlighting the importance of these standards in fostering qualified judicial candidates and assuring that the career prospects for fresh law graduates remain open despite these requirements.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court, on April 1, confirmed the legality of specific eligibility requirements for entry into the state’s judicial service, a decision that subsequently prompted an appeal to the Supreme Court.
The High Court justified its decision by emphasizing the quality-driven intent of the rule, aimed at ensuring that only the most qualified candidates are selected as judges. It highlighted the paramount importance of the litigants’ interests, who seek justice in the courts, over the individual interests of the candidates.
During its ruling, the High Court expressed concern that while professional standards in other fields have advanced over the years, the criteria for the judiciary have not seen significant development, noting a stagnation in standards that had persisted for decades. This observation led to a reaffirmation of the need for heightened eligibility requirements to elevate the judicial standards.
Furthermore, the High Court dismissed claims that the amended Rule 7 of the Madhya Pradesh Judicial Service (Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 1994, which was revised last year, in violation of the constitutional right to equality before the law. This ruling upheld the notion that the specific eligibility criteria were justified in fostering a more capable and effective judiciary, thus supporting the overall goal of delivering superior judicial service and ensuring justice for all parties involved.
Today, the Supreme Court declared its decision to uphold the High Court’s ruling concerning the eligibility criteria for judicial service candidates in Madhya Pradesh.
The Court stated,
“Though learned counsel have advanced arguments at some length, we see no reason to interfere with the High Court’s view. The Special Leave Petition is accordingly dismissed.”
This statement solidifies the Court’s position that the arguments presented, despite their detail, did not provide sufficient grounds to challenge the High Court’s judgment. This decision emphasizes the Supreme Court’s agreement with the High Court’s reasoning that the established eligibility requirements are essential for selecting highly qualified judicial candidates, thereby enhancing the quality of justice administered.
Read Case: [Garima Khare v. High Court of Madhya Pradesh and anr]
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