The Allahabad High Court is grappling with a severe judicial vacancy crisis, operating at less than 50% of its sanctioned strength, with 81 vacant judgeships and a staggering backlog of 11.55 lakh pending cases. A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed, seeking immediate judicial intervention to expedite appointments and restore the court’s sanctioned strength of 160 judges.
The PIL, filed by senior advocate Satish Trivedi as petitioner, through advocates Shashwat Anand, Syed Ahmed Faizan, and Saumitra Anand, and settled by Senior Advocate S.F.A. Naqvi, is set to be heard on March 6, 2025, by a Bench comprising the Chief Justice and Justice Kshitij Shailendra.
The petition highlights the crippling shortage of judges, arguing that each judge is currently handling over 14,600 pending cases, making timely adjudication nearly impossible. It states that this backlog has effectively paralyzed the court’s functioning, denying citizens their fundamental right to access justice.
Filed under Article 226 of the Constitution, the PIL demands strict judicial directives to ensure that judicial appointments adhere to the prescribed Memorandum of Procedure (MoP). It calls for mandatory timelines requiring High Court Chief Justices to recommend names at least six months before a vacancy arises, preventing delays in the appointment process.
The PIL also cites the Union Minister for Law and Justice’s statement in Parliament, acknowledging that High Courts often fail to adhere to these timelines, further worsening the crisis. The response, given to Unstarred Question No. 413 in the Lok Sabha (February 3, 2023), admitted that procedural delays and vacancies in the Allahabad High Court remain a major obstacle to the administration of justice. Despite a sanctioned strength of 160 judges, only 96 were in place as of February 2023, and many recommendations remained pending at various stages of processing.
The petition further refers to the Supreme Court’s repeated concerns over judicial vacancies in the Allahabad High Court, noting that despite clear warnings, the appointment process remains stalled, leading to an institutional breakdown.
Additionally, the PIL seeks a comprehensive status report from the Union Government, State Government, and High Court administration regarding pending judicial appointments. It also calls for the creation of a real-time public database tracking vacancies, recommendations, and appointments to ensure greater transparency and accountability.
The Allahabad High Court, serving over 24 crore people, is one of the busiest constitutional courts in India. The PIL warns that without immediate action, the growing backlog will render justice inaccessible, eroding public faith in the legal system.
With the March 6 hearing set before a Bench led by the Chief Justice, the legal fraternity and litigants alike await the court’s response to what has been described as a constitutional emergency in the state’s judiciary.
