We break down the Supreme Court's judgment in All India Judges Association v. Union of India. Delivered on 19 November by former CJI B.R. Gavai, the Court rejected all proposals for reservation .
The Bench described the plea as driven more by “heartburn” than an enforceable legal right, noting that the material on record did not show any consistent imbalance or disadvantage to civil judges that could justify creating a separate class. It also noted the need for a uniform national model for determining seniority in higher judicial services, directing the adoption of a four-point annual roster for assigning seniority to all recruits within a year.

Since 1989, the All India Judges Association v. Union of India case has remained open before the Supreme Court under a continuing mandamus, allowing the Court to address issues concerning judicial services, especially recruitment and promotion. Many civil judges retire without ever reaching the rank of Principal District Judge, let alone being considered for elevation to the High Court.This was among the final Constitution Bench matters of former Chief Justice B. R. Gavai’s tenure. The judgement, delivered on 19 November 2025, settled key questions on how seniority in the District Judiciary should be determined. In this video, we summarise the key arguments in the case.

CJI Surya Kant takes charge of the Court facing a pendency crisis: over 90,000 pending cases. This backlog didn't happen suddenly. It defied past trends as monthly case filings (institutions) skyrocketed and disposals failed to keep pace, even with a full strength of judges. While CJI Surya Kant has acknowledged the pendency numbers, what is in store?