Last week, a Supreme Court division bench led by Justices B.R. Gavai and M.M. Sundresh directed a batch of applications seeking, among other things, an increase in the number of seats reserved for promotion to higher judicial services through a limited departmental competitive examination (LDCE) and a reduction in the requirement of 10 years minimum qualifying service for successful LDCE candidates to seven years. As specified in the order, “It will be appropriate that these applications are heard by a bench having strength of three Judges. The Registry is directed to place these matters before Hon’ble the Chief Justice of India for obtaining appropriate orders. It is informed that the issue involved in [the applications] is interdependent, it will, therefore, be appropriate that these matters be heard together. The Registry is, therefore, directed to place the matter before Hon’ble the Chief Justice of India so as to club these matters and place before the appropriate Bench.”

A division bench was hearing a writ petition pertaining to members of the subordinate judiciary, which had already gone through several rounds of litigation before the apex court and resulted in the issuance of a slew of directions for the betterment of judicial officers' service conditions across the country. Noting that previous orders issued in 2002 and 2010 would have to be'revisited' in order to resolve the question of modifying the proportion of reserved seats for LDCE candidates and their eligibility requirements, the bench directed that a panel hear the matter of three judges.

Case Title: All India Judges Association & Ors. v. Union of India & Ors
Citation: Writ Petition (Civil) No. 1022 of 1989