Delhi CM announces pay hike for law researchers of Delhi High Court judges

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday announced that the remuneration to law researchers attached with Delhi High Court judges has been increased from ₹65,000 to ₹80,000.

"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 stated.

The announcement was made at the launch of 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 event was organised by the Information Technology & Artificial Intelligence Committee and Accessibility Committee of the Delhi High Court.

The 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 - are seeking implementation of a 2023 decision to increase their monthly remuneration.

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 August 2023, the then Chief Justice of the High Court had approved the recommendation to raise the monthly renumeration of law researchers from ₹65,000 to ₹80,000 with effect from October 1, 2022.

Thereafter, in September 2023, the Joint Registrar of the Delhi High Court conveyed the decision to the Delhi government.

The decision remained pending with the government for the last two years.

The law researchers then moved the High Court for implementing the decision.

The case is slated to be heard again on September 9.