In a pivotal legal development, the Supreme Court of India has issued a stay on the ongoing recruitment process for Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC)/Civil Judges in Gujarat. The stay was imposed due to concerns over the absence of a minimum law practice period as a required eligibility criterion, which is currently under scrutiny in a separate case before the apex court.
The decision came from a bench comprising Justice BR Gavai and Justice AG Masih, who noted the urgency and implications of the eligibility issue pending before the court. “When the Court is ceased of the issue, we do not appreciate the necessity to rush through the selection process as the outcome of that case will have direct bearing on the qualification to be prescribed for the JFMC-cum-Civil Judge,” the justices stated in their order.
The controversy stems from a recent advertisement by the Gujarat High Court, which sought applications for the positions without mandating any minimum duration of law practice for eligibility. This omission has raised questions about the standards being applied to judicial appointments in the state.
The apex court’s order not only halts the preliminary examination of candidates, which was scheduled for this month, but also places a temporary freeze on all proceedings related to the recruitment of JMFC-cum-Civil Judges. Notices have been issued to both the Gujarat High Court and the State Government, with a follow-up hearing set for March 18.
