Burke v. Fields

Examinations to determine merit and fitness for appointments and promotions in the civil service of the State, as contemplated by the State Constitution (art. V, § 6), should be of such nature as will best test the candidates with respect to the qualities demanded by the positions to which they aspire. Insofar as possible, merit and fitness should be measured by objective standards, but determination of fitness for some positions, particularly those which require executive and intellectual ability and broad cultural learning, cannot always be based on objectivity solely. In such cases, the…