JUDGMENT:

R.V. RAVEENDRAN, J. Leave granted in the special leave petition by K.Manjusree. The selection to ten posts of District & Session Judges (Grade-II) in the Andhra Pradesh State Higher Judicial Service in pursuance of the advertisement dated 28.5.2004 is the subject matter of this appeal by special leave and writ petitions.

2. Selection and appointments to the post of District & Session Judges (Grade II) are governed by the Andhra Pradesh State Higher Judicial Service Rules 1958 (Rules for short). The said Rules provide that one-third of the total number of permanent posts of District and Session Judges (Grade II) should be filled by direct recruitment. It also prescribes the qualifications for appointment, but does not prescribe any procedure for selection. As the Rules only prescribe the qualifications for appointment but did not lay down the selection procedure, the manner and method of selection is decided by the High Court, for every selection, as and when the vacancies are notified for selection.

3. The Government of Andhra Pradesh issued an advertisement dated 28.5.2004 inviting applications for appointment to the fo