In Brief
In this recruitment case, the Punjab & Haryana High Court notified 22 positions in the Haryana Superior Judicial Service (2007), including 14 general category posts for direct recruitment from the Bar. The appellant qualified and ranked 14th in merit, but was not appointed—only the top 13 were. The Court found the State had validly absorbed 5 Fast Track Court judges into 5 of the 14 posts per Supreme Court directions, leaving 13 positions for merit selection. The Supreme Court held the State did not act arbitrarily: the appellant had no indefeasible right to appointment, vacancies were legitimately filled, and adjusting him for a later resignation required fresh selection. The 16-year-old process could not be reopened. Appeal dismissed."
The lawyer headnote and full judgment text are available to registered users.