•  •  Dark Mode

Your Interests & Preferences

I am a...

law firm lawyer
in-house company lawyer
litigation lawyer
law student
aspiring student
other

Website Look & Feel

 •  •  Dark Mode
Blog Layout

Save preferences

SC admits writ against controversial 2014 Delhi judiciary exam by CPIL, Prashant Bhushan [READ PETITION]

The 2014 Delhi Judicial Service (DJS) exam’s controversial results were not stayed, but may be probed after the Supreme Court’s order in a writ today. The DJS will hold its interviews for selection of judicial magistrates in Delhi on Thursday, as per schedule.

The Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL) through advocate Prashant Bhushan challenged the results of the DJS 2014 mains exam before the apex court. The Delhi high court’s registrar general, who had filed a caveat for advance notice in the writ, appeared through standing counsel ADN Rao.

Justices Dipak Misra and PC Pant admitted the writ today in the afternoon but did not grant a stay on the selection process because the DJS' interviews are due to happen in two days from today, a source close to the process told Legally India.

However, the judges did make the final results of the selection process subject to the outcome of CPIL’s writ, the source said.

The case would be heard next in five weeks from today.

The writ challenges “the entire selection process and evaluation method adopted in Main (Written) Examination of Delhi Judicial Service, 2014 (DJS) on the grounds of being unreasonable, arbitrary and hence, in violation of Article 14 of the Constitution”.

CPIL argues in the writ:

“the results of the Main Exam of DJS, 2014 show that there is a serious problem with the evaluation method of the exam, which is being conducted for selecting the judicial officers in Delhi, and unless this evaluation method or selection process for DJS is re-examined to make it more rational and reasonable, without compromising on merits, one of the most important factors responsible for huge pendency or delay in justice i.e. lack of sufficient number of judicial officers will not be tackled.”

“In a selection system where the High Court itself conducts the examinations for selection of the judicial officers, the possibility of conflict of interest or even allegation of bias cannot be ruled out. In order to eliminate all chances of conflict of interest or allegation of bias, there must be a uniform transparent system of examination for selection of judicial officers through an independent Judicial Service Commission.”

DJS candidates have alleged foul play in the conduct of the DJS 2014, in which 64 judges from outside Delhi were failed despite quite a few having topped their respective state judicial service exam, while the relatives of sitting Delhi high court judges cleared the exam.

Only 15 candidates cleared the DJS 2014 mains exam despite their being more than 570 vacancies in the Delhi lower judicial service, in theory.

For all you need to know about the DJS and the allegations, click here

Read DJS Writ 27 07 2015 (PDF)

 
Click to show 4 comments
at your own risk
(alt+c)
By reading the comments you agree that they are the (often anonymous) personal views and opinions of readers, which may be biased and unreliable, and for which Legally India therefore has no liability. If you believe a comment is inappropriate, please click 'Report to LI' below the comment and we will review it as soon as practicable.