Supreme Court Takes Suo Motu Action Against Exclusion of Visually Impaired Candidates from MP Judiciary

The Supreme Court in India has taken suo motu cognizance of a rule in Madhya Pradesh that excludes visually impaired and no-vision candidates from judicial service.

The ruling was issued after Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud received a letter expressing objection to the exclusion of visually impaired candidates from the MP judiciary. The court issued notice to the Secretary General of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, the State of Madhya Pradesh, and the Union of India.

The case is titled “In Re: Recruitment of Visually Impaired in Judicial Services.” The court appointed Senior Advocate Gaurav Agarwal as an amicus curia to assist the court.

The Supreme Court overruled an earlier precedent that excluded candidates with more than 50% visual or hearing disability from judicial service in its 2021 judgement.