Delhi CM Rekha Gupta Hikes Law Researchers’ Pay to Rs 80,000, Calls for Speedier Justice

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday announced a hike in the stipend of law researchers attached to judges of the Delhi High Court, raising their remuneration from Rs 65,000 to Rs 80,000. She also said that the strength of researchers will be expanded, with each judge now being supported by four researchers.

The announcement came during Gupta’s address at a Delhi High Court event that marked the launch of several technology-driven initiatives. The event was attended by Supreme Court Judge Vikram Nath, Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, Justice Prathiba M. Singh, Chairperson of the High Court’s Information Technology and Artificial Intelligence Committee, and Justice Sanjeev Narula.

Among the initiatives launched were the Delhi High Court Mobile App, the e-HRMS portal for judicial officers, the e-Office Pilot Project, digital preservation of judicial records, and the onboarding of the MCD Appellate Tribunal and Juvenile Justice Boards onto the e-Courts platform.

Responding at the event, Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Supreme Court Justice Vikram Nath underlined that sometimes governments are cautioned to ensure more effective administration. Chief Justice Upadhyaya said, “We should not forget that we are part of the State and the Government, and we too discharge certain functions. Our effort is only to ensure better administration.” Referring to the Delhi High Court, he added that it has been a pioneer in e-initiatives and expressed confidence that this leadership will continue in the future.

Highlighting the heavy workload of judges, CM Rekha Gupta said they often deal with nearly 100 cases daily with limited assistance. To ease this burden, she said, the government would ensure each judge has four researchers and would also improve infrastructure by providing Wi-Fi across court premises. Citing the principle “justice delayed is justice denied”, she stressed the need for the timely delivery of justice.

Her announcement came against the backdrop of ongoing litigation concerning the same issue. On July 8, the Delhi High Court had asked the city government to respond to a plea filed by thirteen law researchers seeking enforcement of a 2023-approved salary hike of Rs 80,000 per month. A Bench of Justice Prathiba M. Singh and Justice Rajneesh Kumar Gupta observed that researchers make significant contributions to the judicial system, often working late nights and even weekends, and remarked that “the Delhi government must decide the matter.” The court also pointed out that while the salary revision had been approved by the then Chief Justice and cleared by the High Court administration, it had still not been implemented by the government.

The petitioners have sought implementation of the revised stipend along with arrears from October 1, 2022, and 18% annual interest. They relied on Article 229 of the Constitution, under which the High Court framed its Establishment Rules in 1972, creating over 120 sanctioned posts for law researchers. They also traced the pay evolution over the years: Rs 25,000 initially, revised to Rs 35,000 in 2017, Rs 50,000 in 2018, Rs 65,000 in 2019, and finally Rs 80,000 in 2022.

Despite the approvals, the revised salary has not been implemented, with the file reportedly pending in the Law and Finance Departments of the Delhi government. During an earlier hearing, Justice C. Hari Shankar had remarked that law researchers often work longer hours than judges themselves, yet their pay continues to lag behind that of their counterparts at the Supreme Court.

The petitioners contend that the prolonged delay, despite constitutional and administrative sanction, undermines their rights and creates financial insecurity, making judicial intervention necessary. They argue that while the High Court has consistently recognised their contribution to the judicial system, delays in implementing the revised pay scale have placed them in an unfair position compared to similarly placed researchers in higher courts.

The plea, therefore, seeks not only the enforcement of the revised stipend but also arrears and interest to offset the uncertainty faced by researchers who play a critical role in supporting the judiciary.

CM's Address at Inauguration of IT Initiatives in the High Court of Delhi

Date of Address: 4 September  2025 at 5:15 p.m.