The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to quickly approve names for judges’ appointments. Over 7 lakh criminal appeals are pending in high courts due to shortage of judges.
New Delhi: May 8 Today, On Thursday, The Supreme Court has taken serious note of the huge number of criminal appeals pending in various high courts across India.
The top court said that there are nearly 7 lakh criminal appeal cases still waiting for decisions in different high courts, which is a matter of concern.
ALSO READ: 83,000 Pending Cases| Supreme Court Backlog Approaching Record High
A two-judge bench of the Supreme Court, which included Justice Abhay S. Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, highlighted the gravity of the situation.
The judges especially pointed out the condition of the Allahabad High Court, which has the highest number of pending criminal appeal cases among all high courts in the country.
The bench observed that the Allahabad High Court is allowed to have 160 judges according to its sanctioned strength.
However, at present, it is functioning with only 79 judges. This shortage of judges is directly affecting the timely hearing and disposal of criminal appeals.
Looking at this serious situation, the Supreme Court has asked the central government to take quick steps to appoint more judges in high courts.
ALSO READ: Justice Oka Inaugurates Thane Court Building, Highlights 4.6 Lakh Pending Cases
The court said that the process of appointing judges should not be delayed, especially when the collegium—the body responsible for recommending names for judicial appointments—has already sent its proposals.
“This is one aspect where the central government needs to act and ensure that recommendations of the collegium are cleared expeditiously.”
The bench further stated its expectations from the central government by adding:
“We hope and trust that the pending proposals will be cleared by the central government at the earliest.”
The court’s observations come at a time when judicial vacancies in high courts are causing major delays in justice delivery, especially in criminal cases.
ALSO READ: Evening Courts: CJI Sanjiv Khanna’s Strategy to Clear Pending Cases in India
The delay in appointments has also raised concerns over the basic right to timely justice, which is a key part of the legal system.
By pointing out the severe under-staffing in one of the biggest high courts in India, the Supreme Court has made it clear that urgent administrative action is needed from the government to help the judiciary function effectively.
Click Here to Read More Reports On Black Money
