On Monday, the Supreme Court highlighted the critical situation at the Allahabad High Court, which is currently operating with 50% of its judge positions vacant, severely impacting its efficiency in handling a massive backlog of cases.
During the proceedings of Kamla Bai v. Allahabad High Court and others, Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan expressed concern over the approximately 15-20 thousand cases each judge is expected to manage. The alarming case load and judge shortage were emphasized in the context of a plea by a 95-year-old woman, whose civil case has languished in the High Court for an extended period without resolution.
The elderly litigant had approached the Supreme Court seeking a directive for her appeal to be expedited. However, the Bench refused to prioritize her case over others, acknowledging the widespread delays affecting numerous cases, some of which have been pending for over three decades.
Justice Pardiwala commented on the dire need for judicial appointments, stating, “In the last month alone, we have encountered numerous petitions delayed by decades at the Allahabad High Court… It is evident that the court is overwhelmed. With only 79 of the sanctioned 160 judges in place, urgent action is required to address these vacancies by appointing candidates based on merit.”
The Supreme Court’s directive was for the plea to be considered a formal representation to the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court, urging prompt and effective measures to mitigate the judicial bottleneck.
As of January 1, 2025, the Allahabad High Court faces a daunting total of 1,141,687 pending cases. Despite this, there has been little progress in filling vacancies. The only recent appointment was that of Advocate Praveen Kumar Giri, endorsed by the Central government in late January following a recommendation by the Supreme Court Collegium in December 2024.
