Kerala Lawyers Oppose Supreme Court Verdict on District Judge Appointments
A group of 201 lawyers in Kerala has passed a resolution opposing a recent Supreme Court judgment in Rejanish KV v. K Deepa & Ors., which allows judicial officers with seven years of experience as lawyers before joining service to be appointed as District Judges under the Bar quota.
The resolution, submitted before the Kerala High Court Advocates’ Association (KHCAA), argues that the verdict weakens the independence of the Bar and disrupts the 75:25 recruitment ratio between judicial service and practising advocates.
According to the lawyers, Article 233(2) of the Constitution clearly separates two routes for appointment to the district judiciary — one through promotion of judicial officers in service and another through direct recruitment from practising advocates with at least seven years of continuous practice.
They stated that the Supreme Court’s interpretation, equating judicial experience with experience at the Bar, undermines this distinction.
The resolution quoted the Court’s observation in paragraph 146 of the judgment — that judicial officers gain greater experience as judges than as advocates — and criticised it as diminishing the Bar’s constitutional role.
Since the All India Judges’ Association case in 2002, 25% of District Judge posts have been reserved for advocates. The lawyers fear that the Rejanish KV judgment will now blur this line, reducing opportunities for practising advocates and upsetting the balance in judicial appointments.
The resolution further noted that the ruling has already created practical hurdles in ongoing recruitment processes for District Judges in Kerala.
The lawyers have urged the KHCAA Executive Committee to file a review or curative petition before the Supreme Court seeking reconsideration of the verdict. They have also requested coordination with other Bar Associations across India to collectively raise the issue before the Court and to allow the current recruitment process to continue until clarity is restored.
