Transfer, promotion of judges in district courts may affect pace of cases

A notice dated November 18 issued by the Delhi high court listed the postings and transfers of 124 judges and the appointment of 90 newly inducted officers in the Delhi Judicial Services.

The transfer and promotion of 140 judges posted in Delhi’s district courts in the past week stand to affect the pace of several legal cases, including those pertaining to the North East Delhi violence, the Tablighi Jamaat congregation and the criminal defamation case brought by former union minister MJ Akbar against journalist Priya Ramani.

The transfers, though routine, are likely to delay the cases where in some cases the pleadings would have to be heard again due to the reshuffle. (Getty Images. Representative image)

A notice dated November 18 issued by the Delhi high court listed the postings and transfers of 124 judges and the appointment of 90 newly inducted officers in the Delhi Judicial Services.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vishal Pahuja, whose court was designated to hear cases against parliamentarians and legislators, was hearing the criminal defamation suit filed by Akbar pertaining to a sexual harassment allegation made by Ramani in October 2018. He has been transferred to Karkadooma and Ravindra Kumar Pandey will replace him.

ACMM Pahuja had not reserved the order in the case, though lawyers of both parties had finished their final arguments.

On November 13, the high court listed 16 promotions to the post of Delhi Higher Judicial Services. Prominent among them were promotions of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Purshottam Pathak who was hearing cases pertaining to the North East Delhi riots and Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Gurmohina Kaur who was hearing cases pertaining to the foreign nationals who had participated in the Tablighi Jamaat congregation at Nizamuddin Markaz in March.

The transfers, though routine, are likely to delay the cases where in some cases the pleadings would have to be heard again due to the reshuffle.