Supreme Court Stays Madhya Pradesh HC Order on Civil Judge Recruitment

The Supreme Court has stayed an order by the Madhya Pradesh High Court that restrained the recruitment of civil judges, which was amended to require three years of practice. The matter followed a petition by two candidates challenging their exclusion based on the amended eligibility criteria.

The Supreme Court on Monday stayed an order from the Madhya Pradesh High Court that had halted recruitment for civil judge positions, amended to include a mandatory requirement of three years of practice.

The Madhya Pradesh Judicial Services (Recruitment and Conditions of Service) Rules were updated on June 23, 2023, introducing this requirement, which sparked litigation after two candidates argued they would be eligible under the new rules and called for a review of the cut-off.

Justices Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatti issued notice to those who approached the high court to respond. The top court was hearing an appeal challenging a division bench's order to exclude candidates not meeting the amended criteria.