Candidates who cleared the West Bengal Judicial Services Examination (WBJS) 2022 have been caught in an indefinite wait for their appointment as Civil Judges (Junior Division). Despite successfully clearing all required stages, including preliminary and mains exams, as well as interviews conducted in April 2024, their appointment process remains stalled due to ongoing legal hurdles.
The Public Service Commission (PSC) had released the final list of selected candidates in May 2024, yet no appointment letters have been issued. This delay directly contradicts the Supreme Court’s ruling in Malik Mazhar Sultan vs. U.P. Public Service Commission (2008), which mandates that the entire judicial recruitment process must be completed within one year.
The last batch of civil judges in West Bengal was appointed in 2021, leaving a three-year gap without fresh judicial officers. This has severely impacted the district judiciary, leading to an excessive backlog of cases.
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According to data presented by the Law Ministry in Parliament (2023):
- 622,950 pending civil cases
- 2,280,565 pending criminal cases
The delay in fresh appointments, coupled with the retirement of judges, has significantly increased the workload on the existing judiciary, affecting timely justice for citizens.
The recommendation list for appointments was published on May 14, 2024, and candidate verification was completed. However, appointment letters have been stalled due to an interim High Court order dated September 19, 2024.
"No appointment to the selected candidates shall be given," the High Court had ruled in a writ application, leading to repeated extensions of the stay order, the latest being on December 16, 2024.
While arguments in these writ petitions concluded in December 2024, a final High Court judgment is still awaited, keeping the entire recruitment process in limbo.
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The delays in recruitment have raised serious concerns about the urgency and commitment towards strengthening the judiciary in West Bengal. Earlier, in March 2024, Calcutta High Court Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam had criticized the delay in interviews of WBJS 2022 candidates and highlighted the frustration faced by the aspirants.
"Candidates are getting frustrated due to the prolonged delays in the appointment process," remarked Chief Justice Sivagnanam.
With no new appointments since the 2021 batch, there has also been no official notification for judicial exams in 2023 and 2024, leaving future aspirants in uncertainty and raising concerns over the recovery of the judicial recruitment cycle.
