High Courts Show Little Interest in Appointing Ad-Hoc Judges Despite Supreme Court Order

Despite the Supreme Court's clearance to appoint ad-hoc judges in high courts to tackle the backlog of over 18 lakh criminal cases, no appointments have been made. The lack of initiative from high courts to recommend retired judges for these positions has stalled the process, which was intended to ease judicial congestion.

Despite the Supreme Court's directive nearly a year ago enabling the appointment of ad-hoc judges to address the overwhelming backlog of criminal cases, high courts remain largely uninterested. As of now, none of the 25 high courts in the country have forwarded recommendations for these temporary posts.

The Supreme Court allowed these appointments under Article 224A of the Constitution which enables retired judges to serve again temporarily. The judiciary intended these ad-hoc appointments to be less than 10% of the high court's sanctioned strength, primarily aimed at resolving over 18 lakh pending criminal cases swiftly.

The absence of recommendations from the high courts has stalled the Union law ministry's efforts. Without these crucial nominations, there remains no progress in alleviating the burdened judicial system. The high courts' disinterest raises concerns about tackling the mounting backlog without the much-needed judicial reinforcements.

(With inputs from agencies.)