Crisis in the Judiciary: Allahabad High Court Faces Judge Shortage

A PIL in Allahabad High Court highlights urgent need for more judges. With over 11 lakh pending cases and only one judge per 30 lakh people, the court is operating at less than half capacity. The PIL urges for streamlined judicial appointments and adherence to appointment timelines.

The Allahabad High Court has postponed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) hearing to July 21, concerning the urgent need for expeditious judicial appointments. The vacancy crisis in the court has resulted in an overwhelming backlog of cases, according to the petition filed by senior advocate Satish Trivedi.

A bench comprising Justices Vivek Kumar Birla and Jitendra Kumar Sinha heard arguments from Senior Advocate S F A Naqvi, representing Trivedi. The PIL emphasizes the severe judge shortage, which has pushed the court into what is described as a 'functional paralysis.'

The petition underscores that with more than 11 lakh cases pending across Uttar Pradesh, the judicial system is operating with a critical shortage, with only one judge per 30 lakh citizens. The PIL requests binding guidelines for streamlining the appointment process, with strict adherence to stipulated timelines to resolve this dire situation.

(With inputs from agencies.)