In what is considered a significant move, the powers vested with Principal District and Sessions Judges, Metropolitan Sessions Judges and Additional District and Sessions Judges pertaining to grant of leave to judicial officers in the cadre of Senior and Junior Civil Judges were withdrawn on Wednesday, with immediate effect.
In a circular to this effect, signed by the Registrar (Vigilance) of the High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad for the State of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh said that all judicial officers in Telangana and AP were thus directed not to avail themsleves of any kind of leave without prior sanction of the High Court. The withdrawal of powers to grant leave would be in place till further orders, he said.
Hence, all the said rank of Judges who were till now receiving and sanctioning leave applications of judicial officers, were asked to hereafter forward the leave applications to the High Court by fax and regular means, to be placed before the Administrative Judges of the respective districts for their perusal and consideration. The circular added that any deviation in this regard would be viewed seriously.
