Age hurdle: HC tells

The Bombay High Court has ruled that unless specified in the advertisement, the age of candidate for the post of family court judge would be as on the last date of submission of forms and not as on the date on which the advertisement was published.

The Bombay High Court has ruled that unless specified in the advertisement, the age of candidate for the post of family court judge would be as on the last date of submission of forms and not as on the date on which the advertisement was published.

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A division bench of justices BH Marlapalle and UD Salvi directed the registrar general of the high court to consider applications of three candidates who had completed the prescribed 35 years of age before the last date of submission of the forms.

Mayuri Deshmukh, an advocate practising in the family court, had approached the high court after her application was rejected by the selection committee.

On September 27, 2009, the advertisement called for applications for 15 posts (existing) and six posts (probable) of family court judge. The last date for submission was October 30, 2009.

The rules say that as on the date of advertisement the applicant should not be less than 35 years. Deshmukh, who was born on October 10, 1974, was 13 days short of completing 35 years the day it was printed.

Pooja Thorat, Deshmukh’s advocate, argued that Deshmukh submitted her application on October 15, 2009, and had completed 35 years. The court has asked the registrar to consider applications of Deshmukh and two others, Charusheela Paunikar and Naaz Ruheela, who fell short of five days and 11 days respectively as on date of advertisement.