A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court has authoritatively settled the recurring controversy regarding the determination of seniority within the Higher Judicial Services (HJS) across India.

In a significant judgment delivered on November 19, 2025, the Bench comprising Justice B.R. Gavai, Justice Surya Kant, Justice Vikram Nath, Justice K. Vinod Chandran, and Justice Joymalya Bagchi held that seniority in the HJS must be determined based on a continuous length of service in accordance with an annual roster, and officers lose the “birthmark” of their recruitment source upon entry into the cadre.

The Court disposed of the Interlocutory Application (I.A. No. 230675 of 2025) in the long-standing All India Judges Association case, issuing mandatory guidelines for all States and High Cou

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