Supreme Court Eases Rules for Appointing Ad Hoc Judges in High Courts

The Supreme Court has allowed High Courts to appoint retired judges on an ad hoc basis to tackle case backlogs. High Courts can appoint two to five judges, not exceeding 10% of the court's total strength, to address pending criminal appeals and improve justice delivery.

The Supreme Court, addressing the growing backlog of cases, relaxed regulations on Thursday allowing High Courts to appoint retired judges on an ad hoc basis.

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khana, along with Justice BR Gavai and Justice Surya Kant, announced that High Courts could appoint two to five judges, not exceeding 10% of their total capacity, to expedite pending criminal appeals.

This decision comes after a plea from the NGO Lok Prahari, emphasizing the urgent need to address the increasing number of pending cases in High Courts nationwide.

(With inputs from agencies.)