Calcutta High Court Removes Recruitment Stay for Civil Judges by WBPSC
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Synopsis
On March 18, the Calcutta High Court lifted the stay on civil judges' recruitment by WBPSC, following a challenge regarding reservation rules. This allows for the hiring of judges amidst a shortage in lower courts.
Key Takeaways
- Stay lifted: The Calcutta High Court has lifted the recruitment stay.
- Judicial shortage: The decision addresses the shortage of judges in lower courts.
- Justice Mukherjee's ruling: No flaws found in the WBPSC recruitment process.
- Infrastructure concerns: Chief Justice describes inadequate resources in courts.
- Legal implications: Decision clears the way for new appointments.
Kolkata, March 18 (NationPress) A single-judge Bench of the Calcutta High Court has removed an interim stay on the hiring of civil judges for various lower courts in the state, aimed at those who have passed the examination conducted by the West Bengal Public Service Commission (WBPSC) for the year 2022.
The preliminary exam for candidates for the 2022 Judiciary Bench took place in March 2023, followed by the main examination in May 2023, with interviews concluding in April 2024.
However, a candidate belonging to the Other Backward Class (OBC) category contested the recruitment process, arguing that the reservation rules were not adhered to by the WBPSC. This prompted similar petitions to be filed.
In December of the previous year, Justice Arindam Mukherjee of the single-judge Bench imposed an interim stay on the recruitment process, which halted the recruitment of 29 judges for different lower courts.
After ongoing hearings, Justice Mukherjee lifted the stay on Tuesday, which had been imposed in December.
In his ruling, Justice Mukherjee remarked that there were no significant issues with the recruitment process conducted by the WBPSC and thus the stay has been lifted.
He also indicated that there were no substantial grounds in the writ petitions submitted by the challengers.
Legal analysts believe this decision paves the way for the recruitment of new judges to the lower courts, a positive development given the current shortage of judges in the state.
Recently, Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam of the Calcutta High Court expressed discontent regarding the inadequate infrastructure in various lower courts across the state.
The court further criticized the state government for the insufficient staffing in different courts.
