ALL INDIA JUDGES ASSOCIATION Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) I.A. No. 89454 of 2021 has been filed by two judicial officers in the cadre of Delhi Judicial Service (hereinafter referred to as "DJS") namely Ms. Sheetal Chaudhary Pradhan and Dr. Shirish Aggarwal, for modification of the orders dtd. 21/3/2002 (2002) 4 SCC 247 and 20/4/2010 (2010) 15 SCC 170 passed by this Court in the present writ petition. I.A. No. 89450 of 2021 has been filed by the same judicial officers seeking permission to participate in the Limited Departmental Competitive Examination (hereinafter referred to as "LDCE") initiated by the High Court of Delhi through its letter No. 38-49/Exam.Cell/DHJSCL Exam/2021 dtd. 15/7/2021, for promotion to the Delhi Higher Judicial Service (hereinafter referred to as "DHJS") District Judge Cadre and to consider the candidature of the judicial officers-applicants on merits, subject to the outcome of the application for modification. I.A. No. 44132 of 2022 in I.A. No.89450 of 2021 has been filed by the same judicial officers praying for a direction to the High Court of Delhi to identify two seats of LDCE quota of DHJS from the roster under Rule 7(2) of the Delhi Higher Judicial Service Rules, 1970 (hereinafter referred to as the "said Rules") and to reserve them for the judicial officers-applicants. I.A. No.88976 of 2021 has also been filed by the same judicial officers praying for their impleadment as co-petitioners in the present writ petition.

(2.) I.A. No.249 of 2009 has been filed by the High Court of Delhi praying for reducing the minimum qualifying service to 7 years from 10 years for promotion to the DHJS under 25% quota of LDCE.

(3.) We have heard Shri P.S. Patwalia, learned Senior Counsel appearing on behalf of the judicial officers-applicants, Shri A.D.N. Rao, learned Senior Counsel appearing on behalf of the High Court of Delhi and Shri Siddharth Bhatnagar, learned Senior Counsel appearing as amicus curiae.