Day 21 Arguments

November 13th 2019

A Bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice Aniruddha Bose is monitoring steps taken to fill vacant judicial posts in the District and Subordinate Courts. In particular, it is assessing whether the High Courts and State Governments are following the guidelines issued in Malik Mazhar Sultan. For assistance, the Court has appointed four Amicus Curiae:

• Shyam Divan, responsible for Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Delhi and the North Eastern States
• K.V. Vishwanathan, responsible for Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka and Kerala
• Vijay Hansaria, responsible for Madhya Pradesh and the High Courts of Madras, Odisha, Patna and Punjab & Haryana
• Gaurav Agrawal, responsible for Rajasthan, Sikkim, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tripura and Uttarakhand

In the previous hearing, the Bench heard Amicus Curiae K.V. Vishwanathan report on the States of Karnataka and Kerala. Today it was expected to hear Amicus Curiae Gaurav Agarwal. However, Chief Justice Gogoi adjourned the matter and directed the Registrar to list it in front of a different Bench. Chief Justice Gogoi will retire on 17 November.