The Full Court of Rajasthan High Court has made a recommendation to the State Government for removal of 21 judicial officers through compulsory retirement in view of different kinds of allegations proved against them.
Eighteen of them are of the District and Sessions Judge cadre and three of the Judicial Magistrate cadre.
The Full Court, which met at the High Court’s principal seat in Jodhpur on last Saturday, considered and accepted a recommendation made by a five-member committee headed by Justice K. S. Rathore in connection with 23 judicial officers in the State. Significantly, two of them have already applied for voluntary retirement.
According to the official sources, the Full Court meeting presided over by Chief Justice Jagdish Bhalla also decided to fill up 88 vacant posts in the Rajasthan Higher Judicial Service through promotions and direct recruitment of lawyers. Thirty-six of these posts will be filled up from the advocates’ quota.
The appointments to Rajasthan Higher Judicial Service has been hanging fire for five years with the Rajasthan Judicial Service Officers’ Association taking the issue of promotions to the Supreme Court. The apex court had issued directions for prompt appointments last year.
In another decision, the Full Court approved a change in the proforma for preparing the annual confidential reports of judicial officers, as recommended by the Justice N. P. Gupta Committee recently for ensuring a “realistic assessment” of the officers’ work.
