Supreme Court strikes down Karnataka law validating corrupt 2011 civil service selection

The case concerns a challenge to the Karnataka Civil Services (Validation of Selection and Appointment of 2011 Batch Gazetted Probationers) Act, 2022, which sought to validate a 2011 recruitment process that had been previously cancelled due to corruption and nepotism. The core issue is whether the State Legislature can directly annul a judicial judgment that invalidated the selection process.

Who it concerns: Appellants: Srinivasa T. & Ors.; Respondents: The State of Karnataka and Ors.; Bench: Justice K. Vinod Chandran.

What the court decided

• The Court declared the Act of 2022 unconstitutional.
• The Court set aside the Act of 2022.
• The Court set aside the impugned judgments of the High Court in both the PIL and the Writ Petition.
• The Court allowed the Public Interest Litigation (PIL), transposing the appellants as petitioners.
• The Court held that the legislature cannot directly annul a final judgment by subsequent legislation.

Also in the document

• The Court noted that the 2011 recruitment was cancelled due to rampant corruption and blatant nepotism, which was upheld by the High Court and the Supreme Court in earlier proceedings.
• The Court expressed 'a little bit of surprise and a lot more alarm' regarding the High Court's earlier orders that upheld the 2022 Act.
• The Court cited the principle that while the legislature can amend laws retrospectively to remove defects, it cannot directly annul a final judgment affecting individual rights and liabilities.