New Delhi: In a significant judgement aimed at maintaining the efficacy and integrity of the justice delivery system, the Supreme Court on September 23 said that the High Courts should undertake periodic evaluation of presiding officers in the lower judiciary to rid it of deadwood and corrupt judges.

Dismissing the appeals filed by three judges who were compulsorily retired from the Uttar Pradesh Judicial Service, a Bench comprising Justice M B Shah and Justice A R Lakshmanan said it was a must for the high courts to undertake repeated scrutiny of the service records of judicial officers.

Terming the lower judiciary as the "foundation of the judicial system", Justice Shah, writing for the Bench said, "We hope the High Courts would take appropriate steps regularly for weeding out the deadwood or the persons polluting the justice delivery system.

"Judicial service is not a service in the sense of employment," the apex court said and added as they were discharging their duties in exercise of the "sovereign judicial power of the state", their honesty and integrity was expected to be beyond doubt.

Their honesty and integrity should be reflected in their overall reputation, Justice Shah said. "The nature of judicial service is such that it cannot afford to suffer continuance in service of persons of doubtful integrity or who have lost their utility," he added.

PTI