CHENNAI: Principal district judges, who were earlier vested with powers to recruit a section of staff in the lower courts, can now be only the appointment authority, since the Madras High Court has taken the entire recruitment to its online portal – Centralised recruitment cell. Only recently, several of the lower courts inside the High Court campus such as the Court of Small Causes; labour courts and other sub-courts, called for recruitments for the posts of computer operator, reader/examiner, typist, bailiff, process server, office assistant, masalchi and other posts.
A senior official said, “Only a month ago, a notification was issued for filling up of at least 80 odd posts and 10 posts in the labour courts.” At least 5,000 people have applied for the posts wherein most of them are double degree holders.Going by the notification issued by Registrar General (R-G) C Kumarappan, the principal district judges and chief judicial magistrates have been directed to defer all further proceedings in the recruitment process initiated and await further instruction from the High Court. Even where examinations had been conducted or viva voce conducted, the recruitment shall be deferred on administrative grounds.
It further said, except for the posts of civil judge in Tamil Nadu State Judicial Service and junior assistant, typist and stenotypist, that are under the purview of Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission, the remaining falling under the Tamil Nadu Judicial Ministerial Service will all be recruited through the judicial recruitment cell. The notification also mentioned that several of the principal district judges in the State have initiated steps to fill up all the vacancies, complying with the directions issued by the Supreme Court on January 17, 2019, in a suo motu writ petition.
“Further, it is also felt by the High Court that the appointing authorities do not have sufficient expertise or infrastructure to handle the ongoing recruitment process and hence, the process could not be completed within the time frame. Therefore, the High Court is of the view that centralised recruitment is the best possible option.”
It also emphasised that the High Court Recruitment Cell will only be the Recruiting Authority and the Appointing Authority shall be the respective Principal District Judge, as per the existing. All the PDJs, CJMs and other unit heads across the State, have also been asked to submit details of vacancies in their jurisdiction.