All India Judicial Service

On the constitution day (Nov 26, 2023) President of India Smt. Draupadi Murmu suggested for creation of All India Judicial Service to recruit Judges.

What is ‘All-Indian Judicial Service’?

• The AIJS is a reform push to centralize the recruitment of judges.
• It would work at the level of additional district judges and district judges for all states.
• This idea has been discussed in legal circles for many years, and remains debatable.
• In 2006, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justicein its 15^th Report pushed the idea of a pan-Indian judicial service, and made a draft Bill.

• The proposal for an All-India Judicial Service was first suggested in the early 1960s.
• While the proposal was revived a few times, including in 2012, it could not be implemented due to opposition from some high courts and states.
• In December 2019, reported that the government's proposal had received mixed response from various states and high courts.

Who deals with All-India Services?

• Article 312of the Indian Constitution, which deals with ‘All-India Services’, says that Parliament may, among other things, provide for the creation of one or more all India services, including an all-India judicial service, common to the Union and the states.
• Article 312 also lays down that such a service may be created if the Rajya Sabha declares “by resolution supported by not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting that it is necessary or expedient in the national interest so to do".

 It adds that no law providing for the creation of AIJS — which “shall not include any post inferior to that of a district judge" — “shall be deemed to be an amendment of this Constitution".

Supreme Court’s View

• In 1992, the Supreme Court(SC) in All India Judges’ Association v. The Union of Indiadirected the Centre to set up an AIJS.
• In a 1993 assessment of the judgment, however, the court left the Centre at liberty to take the initiative on the issue.
• In 2017, the SC took suo motucognizance of the issue of appointment of district judges, and mooted a Central Selection Mechanism.
• Based on the merit list, High Courts can hold interviews and recruit judges.

How are district judges currently recruited?

• The selection process is conducted by the State Public Service Commissionsand the concerned High Courtsince High Courts exercise jurisdiction over the subordinate judiciary in the state.
• Panels of High Court judges interview candidates after the exam and select them for an appointment.
• Articles 233 and 234 of the Constitution of India deal with the appointment of district judges, and place it in the domain of the states.
• All judges of the lower judiciary up to the level of district judge are selected through the Provincial Civil Services (Judicial) exam.

How would AIJS improve the judiciary system?

• Efficient Judiciary
• Ease of Doing Business
• Equal representation of marginalized and underprivileged elements of society in Judiciary
• Creation of a pool of brilliant individuals
• Addressing concerns such as corruption and nepotism

President’s View:

• AIJS will be a way to ensure equal representation of India’s diversity in the judiciary.
• She believes that AIJS will emphasize on that the cause of justice, making it is best served by making it accessible to all — which she emphasised that it still remains to be.
• Cost and Language Barriers: Accessibility of Justice: barriers such as cost and language are in the way of making this a reality.
• AIJS will lead to a “citizen-centric approach” to improve access to justice.
• Decolonisation: Present system is largely a product of colonialism. De-colonisation could be sped up with conscious efforts.