The Kerala High Court has issued Contempt of Court notices to the Union Cabinet Secretary and the Secretary of the Department of Personnel and Training of the Union government for their failure to implement the directives of the court regarding the appointment of chairman of the Kerala Administrative Tribunal.
A Division Bench of the court consisting of Justice A. Muhamed Mustaque and Justice Kausar Edappagath had ordered on June 1 to decide on the appointment of the chairman within three weeks, on a writ petition filed by the Kerala Administrative Tribunal Ernakulam Advocates’ Association and a lawyer.
The petitioners submitted that the activities of the tribunal would come to halt due to the delay in appointing the chairman. The term of the earlier chairman ended on September 15 last year. The administrative member retired on May 26 this year and the term of two Judicial Members ended on July 19 this year, they submitted.
Later, when the case came up for hearing, the Additional Solicitor General had submitted that the Cabinet Committee on Appointments was the final authority to decide on the appointment.
The court on Monday directed the authorities to comply with its directives before the next posting of the case. The case has been posted for August 24.
