Chennai: The Madras High Court paved the way for recruitment of 185 civil judges for the Tamil Nadu State Judicial Service (TNSJS), dismissing a batch of petitions challenging a state government notification issued last month in this connection.

A specially constituted Division Bench comprising Justices K Suguna and M M Sundresh dismissed the batch of written petitions filed by advocates and advocate associations holding there were not enough reasons to interfere with the January 21 notification calling for applications for the posts.

The detailed order was not available.

The petitioners had contended that the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission and the state government should not have surrendered their right to recruit the judges in favour of the High Court even as a one-time measure.

The written petitions also raised several issues concerning the advertisement calling for applications for appointment as judges.

The petitioners said neither the TNSJS rules nor the Constitution had been amended enabling the High Court to conduct the recruitments to the posts.

While some said that the commission could not be undermined in the selection process, other petitioners demanded that the backlog of vacancies meant for the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes be filled up first with a relaxation of upper age limit for such candidates.

A clause that law graduates in Madras High Court Service and employees of the High Court were ineligible to participate in the selection drive too has been questioned.

Tags: Chennai, dismisses petitions, Madras High Court, Tamil Nadu