JUDGMENT

S.N. Variava, J.-The facts relevant for the purposes of this Writ Petition are as follows:

The State of Andhra Pradesh established Family Courts and Mahila Courts. The High Court of Andhra Pradesh desired that these Courts be manned by women. However in the cadre of District and Sessions Judges, Grade II there were not enough women Judges who could be posted in these Courts. Therefore the High Court requested the State to create additional posts. On 3rd September, 1996 the State Government issued Office Memorandum No. 172 sanctioning 10 additional posts of District and Sessions Judges, Grade II. The relevant portion of the said Memorandum reads as follows :

"The Registrar, High Court of Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad, has informed in his letter 6th read above that six Family Courts in the cadre of District and Sessions Judge were sanctioned at Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Kurnool, Tirupathi and Warangal in the G.O. 3rd read above and another Family Court at Secunderabad was sanctioned in the G.O. 5th read above. The Registrar, High Court of Andhra Pradesh has further stated that the High Court considers it necessary to post lady District Judges to preside over the Family