The Central Government notified the appointment of seven advocates as judges of the Patna High Court. The appointments aim to strengthen judicial capacity, reduce vacancies, and address the growing backlog of pending cases, following recommendations made by the Supreme Court Collegium.
The Allahabad High Court issued austerity measures to reduce fuel consumption and improve resource efficiency, directing officers and staff to adopt car pooling, public transport, online meetings, and hybrid court proceedings. The initiative follows guidance from the Chief Justice of India and the Central Government.
The Union Government notified the appointment of five new Supreme Court judges Senior Advocate V. M. Mohana, Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, Justice Sheel Nagu, Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Arun Palli following Collegium recommendations, strengthening the apex court and addressing judicial vacancies to ensure efficient administration of justice across the country.
Justice Alok Kumar Verma resigned as a Judge of the Uttarakhand High Court, with the Union Ministry of Law and Justice formally notifying the resignation through an official communication issued on May 27, 2026, marking an unexpected development within the higher judiciary.
The Supreme Court directed High Courts to ordinarily pronounce judgments within three months of reserving verdicts, expressing concern over delays in delivery and uploading of judgments, especially in matters involving personal liberty, while issuing comprehensive nationwide guidelines to ensure timely judicial pronouncements and accessibility.
The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended Meenakshi Madan Rai, Judge of the Sikkim High Court, as the next Chief Justice of the Patna High Court following the retirement of incumbent Chief Justice Sangam Kumar Sahoo on June 4, 2026.
The Delhi High Court directed the Delhi government to frame a policy within four months for speedy refund of court fees after dispute settlements, observing that the absence of a codified mechanism causes unnecessary hardship and procedural delays for litigants seeking refunds under the Court Fees Act.
The Gujarat High Court recommended criminal contempt proceedings against suspended Additional District Judge GR Soni, observing that his allegations against a senior judge amounted to interference with judicial proceedings and obstruction of justice, thereby constituting “criminal contempt”.
The Allahabad High Court upheld disciplinary action against a clerk accused of misplacing a judicial file, stressing that such misconduct threatens justice, stating the loss of any judicial record is serious and “required to be handled with iron rod.”
The Chhattisgarh High Court addressed judicial recusal and professional ethics as a judge stepped aside after his niece appeared as counsel, stating that the Chief Justice’s new bench-hunting circular “appears to be an interference of the Court functioning.”
