Delhi government approves pay hike for law researchers of Delhi High Court judges

The Department of Law, Justice, and Legislative Affairs under the government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) has approved the enhancement of remuneration given to law researchers attached with Delhi High Court judges from ₹65,000 to ₹80,000, .The pay hike will be effective for the period from September 2, 2025, onwards. The development was notified on September 8 by the Delhi government, a day before a case pending before the Delhi High Court on this issue is slated to be heard further. Earlier, in 2023, the Delhi High Court had approved of implementing such a hike with effect from October 1, 2022. However, the remuneration enhancement notified by the Delhi government only has a prospective effect. .Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta had announced such a hike will be implemented a few days ago. "In the new budget that my government has presented, we have decided to allocate ₹540 crores for judicial accommodation. We have also decided that each judge would be given 4 law researchers, and we have increased their remuneration. We have decided to pay them ₹80,000 each," the CM had stated on September 4. .The announcement was made at the recent launch of the Delhi High Court Mobile App, e-HRMS Portal for Judicial Officers, e-Office Pilot Project and onboarding of MCD Appellate Tribunal/JJBs on e-Courts, Digital Preservation of Judicial Records..The Delhi High Court is also seized of a case concerning the remuneration of law researchers.The matter titled Rushant Malhotra & Ors. Vs The Government of NCT of Delhi & Ors is sub judice before the Bench of Justice Prathiba M Singh and Justice Rajneesh Kumar Gupta. In this case, thirteen legal researchers - attached to offices of High Court judges between 2018 and 2025 - had sought the implementation the Court's 2023 decision to increase the remuneration paid to law researchers. During the last hearing of the matter on August 21, the Delhi Government had assured the Court that the matter was pending before a competent authority and positive decision would be taken within ten days..In September 2023, the Joint Registrar of the Delhi High Court conveyed to the Delhi government the Delhi High Court Chief Justice's August 2023 decision to approve an increased remuneration of ₹80,000 for law researchers with effect from October 2022.However, the decision remained pending with the government for two years.The law researchers then moved the High Court seeking directions to implement the decision.The case is slated to be heard again today (September 9)..[Read the notification]