Lawyers Failing Minimum Income Requirement Being Recommended For High Court Judgeship: Law Ministry Official 

The government has flagged several recommendations made by high court collegiums to appoint lawyers as judges, saying the candidates fail to fulfill the minimum income requirement.

In the past three months, the Department of Justice in the Law Ministry has pointed out at some 25 recommendations where the candidates from the Bar have failed to meet the requirement to have an average annual income of Rs 7 lakh in the preceding five years to be considered for high court judgeship.

The Supreme Court collegium would automatically reject such recommendations, But, it is the Law Ministry's duty to point out the lacunae, a functionary told PTI.

The minimum income requirement is prescribed in the memorandum of procedure, a document which guides the appointment and transfer of high court and Supreme Court judges.

As per 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. The Supreme Court collegium then recommends the names of candidates it finds suitable for judgeship.

The government either accepts the recommendations or returns them for reconsideration to the collegium.