Govt flags income criteria in collegium recommendation to make advocates as HC judges

The government is learnt to have flagged recommendations of the Supreme Court collegium to appoint some advocates as additional judges in the Allahabad High Court, saying their annual professional income is below the laid-down criteria.

A candidate from the Bar who is recommended for appointment as a judge of the high court should have an average annual income of Rs 7 lakh in the preceding five years to be considered for high court judgeship.

In February, the collegium had recommended names of certain advocates for appointment as additional judges of the Allahabad High Court, sources in the government said.

The Law Ministry found that 10 of the candidates do not fulfil the income criteria as laid down in the memorandum of procedure (MoP), a document which guides the elevation and transfer of judges in the higher judiciary.

The government has now decided to put on hold the recommendations, the sources said.

According to the established procedure, the high court collegiums send the names of candidates to be appointed as high court judges to the Law Ministry.

After attaching reports of the Intelligence Bureau on the background of candidates, the ministry forwards it to the apex court's collegium.

In 2018 too, the government had flagged the income criteria in at least 25 recommendations.