HONBLE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD REGISTRAR GENERAL vs THE STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH

The Supreme Court addressed the validity of seniority determination for promotee and direct recruit Higher Judicial Service officers in Uttar Pradesh, focusing on Rules 22 and 26 of the Uttar Pradesh Higher Judicial Service Rules, 1975. The Court held that seniority must be determined based on the availability of vacancies and the timing of appointments, reaffirming principles established in previous cases such as All India Judges Association v. Union of India and P.K. Dixit v. State of U.P. The judgment clarified that promotees' seniority should commence from the date they could have been appointed against an available vacancy.