Case Title:- RUSHANT MALHOTRA & ORS vs. THE GOVERNMENT OF NCT OF DELHI & ORS
Date:- 29.10.2025
The Hon’ble Delhi High Court on Wednesday ordered retrospective payment of enhanced remuneration of Rs. 80,000 per month to its law researchers with effect from October 01, 2022, as recommended by the Chief Justice in 2023.
The Hon’ble Court held that the effective date of enhancement lies within the Chief Justice’s powers under Article 229 of the Constitution. The monthly remuneration of law researchers was raised from ₹65,000 to ₹80,000, but the Delhi government had made it effective only from September 2, 2025.
The Hon’ble Court ruled that the government’s decision was arbitrary, noting that a similar retrospective hike had been granted earlier. Senior Advocate Ankit Jain argued that the Chief Justice alone can determine terms and conditions of law researchers’ engagement.
The Delhi government opposed retrospective implementation citing budgetary constraints which was rejected by the Hon’ble Court. The decision came after 13 law researchers (2018–2025 batches) approached the Hon’ble High Court seeking enforcement of the pay revision.
The Hon’ble Court held that the Chief Justice’s approval must prevail, and directed retrospective implementation of ₹80,000 remuneration from October 1, 2022.
