Supreme Court Receives Contempt Plea Against Patna HC Job Quota for Judges' Staff

A contempt of court petition has been filed before the Supreme Court challenging rules under which 40 percent of the sanctioned Regular Mazdoor posts in the Patna High Court can be filled by candidates selected or recommended by the Chief Justice or High Court judges.The petition has alleged that the arrangement violates the Supreme Court’s 2014 judgment in Renu v. District & Sessions Judge, Tis Hazari, which mandated public advertisement and a transparent selection process for appointments to High Courts and subordinate courts.In Renu, the Supreme Court had directed that vacancies in High Courts and subordinate courts must ordinarily be advertised in at least two newspapers, including one vernacular newspaper having wide circulation. It had further held that appointments made without the prescribed advertisement would be void ab initio, except appointments permissible without advertisement, such as compassionate appointments.The plea concerns the Patna High Court Officers and Staff (Recruitment, Appointment, Promotion and Other Conditions of Service and Conduct) Rules, 2021, as amended in July and August this year.According to the petition, the Thirteenth Amendment Rules notified on July 24 allowed 25 per cent of the sanctioned Regular Mazdoor posts to be filled through selection or recommendation by the Chief Justice or judges under the Patna High Court Judges’ Domestic Help (Modified) Scheme, 2025.The Fourteenth Amendment Rules, notified on August 13, increased this q