At a time when the courts are already grappling with the mounting backlog of cases and an increase in the institution of new cases every year, as many as 283 posts of judicial officers are vacant in subordinate courts across Haryana, 103 in Punjab, 14 in Himachal, and three in Chandigarh.
Similarly, there are 39 unfilled posts of judges in Punjab and Haryana high court and three in Himachal Pradesh high court.
According to information, there are 772 sanctioned posts of judicial officers in subordinate courts across Haryana, 692 in Punjab, 175 in Himachal Pradesh, and 30 in Chandigarh. Sharing this information in the ongoing monsoon session of the Parliament, the Union minister of law and justice informed that during the Covid pandemic period between March 2020 and June 2021, various district courts across 34 states and Union territories disposed of 97.21 Lakh cases through digital and physical hearing.
Out of these, subordinate courts in Punjab disposed of 3.65 lakh cases, 2.80 lakh cases were disposed of in Haryana, 2.29 lakh in Himachal Pradesh and 10,671 in Chandigarh.
Against the sanctioned strength of 1,098 judges in 25 high courts across the country, as many as 454 vacancies are yet to be filled, said Rijiju. The Punjab and Haryana high court has a sanctioned strength of 85 judges and Himachal Pradesh high court is supposed to have 13 judges. Whereas only seven judges were appointed in the Punjab and Haryana high court in 2018, 10 in 2019, and one in 2020. But only two judges were appointed in the Himachal Pradesh high court in the last three years, in 2019.
Out of the total 46 serving judges in Punjab and Haryana high court, seven are female. There is one female judge out of the total 10 serving in the Himachal Pradesh high court.
Efforts to expedite the appointment process
The law minister told the Parliament that filling up of vacancies in the high courts is a continuous, integrated, and collaborative process between the executive and the judiciary. It requires consultation and approval from various constitutional authorities both at the state and Centre levels. Every effort is made to expedite the process of appointment of judges following the due procedure.
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He added that as per the memorandum of procedure for the appointment of high court judges, the chief justice of the high court is required to initiate the proposals in consultation with two senior-most judges from amongst the eligible candidates from the Bar and concerned state judicial service six months prior to the occurrence of vacancies.
(By Dinesh Sharma)