LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) Full Court, headed by Chief Justice Aalia Neelum, has approved new rules introducing a centralised recruitment system for staff in Punjab’s subordinate courts, ending the direct hiring powers exercised by District and Sessions Judges under the previous arrangement.
Centralised Recruitment System Introduced
Under the new system, Sessions Judges will no longer directly recruit employees from Naib Qasid up to Grade 16. Recruitment will instead be handled through a Lahore High Court secretariat under a province-wide mechanism. Reports describe the change as replacing a system in place for around 150 years.
New Recruitment Procedure
According to the approved procedure, whenever vacancies arise in a district’s subordinate judiciary, the concerned Sessions Judge will inform the LHC’s establishment authorities. After scrutiny, the recruitment case will be forwarded to the relevant High Court secretariat for further processing.
Candidates will undergo written examinations and interviews, with appointments to be made on merit under the new centralised framework. The Lahore High Court has also recently established a Central Examination Secretariat to streamline recruitment and examination functions within the judicial system.
Formal Notification Expected
Following approval of the new rules, the Punjab government is expected to issue a formal notification implementing the revised recruitment procedure.