Supreme Court directs Union Government to dispose pending cases

Appoint eminent senior advocates as High Court Judges for a period of time

New Delhi – Several judicial posts are still vacant in various High Courts of the Country. As a result, there is a huge backlog of cases in these Courts. A Supreme Court order has directed the Union Government to address this issue. There are many eminent advocates who are willing to take a break from their practice for a few years, according to the Court. Such advocates are often reluctant to join the Bench; but they are willing to accept ad-hoc positions for a period of time. As a part of its social responsibility, the Central Government should consider making such advocates judges for 2-3 years.


Justice Sanjay Kaul, Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Vikram Nath ruled that allowing these advocates to handle pending cases in their areas of expertise would increase the disposal rate. Attorney General Arvind Datar said, “The process of appointment of judges in the High Courts is cumbersome, and a simple process should be adopted to make it effective and attract advocates.” Also, he asked to simplify the process and suggest solutions.