Supreme Court Reserves Judgment on MP Civil Judges Termination

The Supreme Court has reserved its verdict on the termination of six female civil judges in Madhya Pradesh. A bench examined the case’s arguments, noting concerns over the basis of termination, as two judges remain uninstate. The Madhya Pradesh government cited unsatisfactory probation performance.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court reserved its judgment concerning the termination of services for a group of civil judges in Madhya Pradesh. The bench, comprising Justices BV Nagarathna and N Kotiswar Singh, held back their decision after reviewing submissions from all parties involved.

The court raised questions on whether the termination based on service differed compared to complaints. Highlighting the cases of six female civil judges, of which two have not been reinstated, the court drew attention to how their dismissals were managed.

The court conducted a suo motu review of the incident, prompted by the Madhya Pradesh government's action against the women judges. Concerns were raised about the performance assessment methods adopted by the Madhya Pradesh High Court. The state counsel defended the dismissals, attributing them to the judges' poor performance during their probationary period and citing it as the main criteria.

(With inputs from agencies.)