Judgment :

A.S. SUPEHIA, J.

1. RULE. Learned Assistant Government Pleader waives service of Rule on behalf of the respondent – State. The present petition emanates from the Notification dated 18.07.2016 passed by the Legal Department notifying the premature retirement of the petitioner, who was serving as a Principal Judge, Family Court. The name of the respective petitioner stands at Sr. No.2 of the Notification.

2. The petitioner, who was serving as an Additional District Judge was retired prematurely in public interest on attaining the age of 53 years and 8 months.

3. The High Court on the administrative side undertook an exercise for examining the performance of the Judicial Officers of the State of Gujarat by verifying the service records, such as Annual Confidential Reports, disposals, complaints, vigilance complaints, departmental inquiry etc. and accordingly, the Committee of three Hon’ble High Court Judges was formed which had undertaken necessary exercise of verification of the service records, and ultimately, the Committee filed its report wherein it was found that 18 Judicial Officers including the present petitioner, were required to be prematurely retired. The Committee s