In Brief
Six advocates challenged their non-selection in the 2008 direct recruitment to the Punjab Superior Judicial Service. They argued several defects: a post became available when a judge was elevated after advertisement; ex-servicemen seats were wrongfully included and later wrongly filled; the actual cadre strength was larger than advertised; and disability category vacancy was not transferred to general category. The Supreme Court dismissed all appeals, holding that candidates who did not challenge the advertisement before failing cannot later challenge it. Subsequent vacancies need not be included in original advertisements. A merit list placement does not guarantee appointment. After a decade of subsequent recruitments, the court declined to reopen the process and put the clock back."
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