Chennai: The Madras High Court has annulled the Tamil Nadu State Law Commission's appointment of 16 Junior Administrative Assistants, originally made on October 12, 2022.

The HC's decision followed a petition filed by fifteen individuals, including office assistant Ethiraj, challenging the appointment and seeking promotion to the Junior Administrative Assistant positions.

The petitioners argued that the appointment process violated established rules.

A bench consisting of Justices SM Subramaniam and C. Kumarappan found that the appointment breached regulatory norms.

Specifically, the court noted that no public notification had been issued for the temporary appointments and that the recruitment process appeared to be influenced by powerful individuals, bypassing standard procedures.

Consequently, the court has invalidated the appointments made on October 12, 2022. It has also prohibited the Tamil Nadu State Legal Services Commission from converting contract, temporary, or daily wage positions into permanent roles.

The commission is instructed to adhere to existing recruitment rules for filling sanctioned positions.

The court's ruling aligns with the Supreme Court's directives in the Umadevi and Renu cases, which mandate that public sector selections and appointments must comply with established rules and regulations.