Justice Vinod Diwakar of the Allahabad High Court has observed that an impression was given that the last two Full Court meetings were stage-managed, noting that only 16 such meetings were convened in ten years, that no policy matter or annual report reached the Full Court, and that individual Judges’ concurrence or dissent is never recorded.
Justice Vinod Diwakar of the Allahabad High Court has called for recalibration of the Chief Justice-centric model of High Court administration, citing unaccountable administrative decisions, 84 committees largely chaired by two or three senior Judges, committee minutes never placed before the Full Court, and the need for rule-bound procedure, in a judgment arising from four cases on subordinate judiciary delays and bail non-compliance.
The Madras High Court ruled that advocates have no vested or fundamental right to demand out-of-turn listing of pending cases. Dismissing a lawyer’s plea, the Court held that only genuinely urgent matters may receive priority through established judicial procedures and exceptional listing protocols.
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 Supreme Court sought the Central government’s response on a PIL highlighting large-scale vacancies in the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, including unfilled member and staff posts across benches nationwide, while seeking assistance from Attorney General R Venkataramani in addressing concerns over tribunal functioning.