In a significant move, the powers vested with principal district and sessions judges, metropolitan sessions judges and additional district and sessions judges, pertaining to grant of leave to judicial officers in the cadre of senior and junior civil judges, were withdrawn on Wednesday.
A circular to this effect, signed by the Registrar (Vigilance) of the High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad for the State of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, said all judicial officers in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh were directed not to avail themselves of any kind of leave without the prior sanction of the High Court. The withdrawal of powers to grant leave would be in place till further orders, he said.
Hence, the said rank of judges were asked to hereafter forward the leave applications to the High Court by fax and regular means, to be placed before the administrative judges of the respective districts for their perusal and consideration.
The circular added that any deviation would be viewed seriously.
At least a dozen senior members of the Bar Council of Andhra Pradesh called on the Acting Chief Justice at the High Court, Dilip B. Bhosale, and urged him to grant protection to judicial officers of A.P. working in Telangana State, and strictly act in accordance with the law in the matter of their options.
They also requested him to expedite the process of establishing a High Court for the State of A.P. within the geographical territory of the State.
They condemned the attack on a judicial officer working in Warangal and the use of abusive language against the highest judiciary and judicial officers.
