No ad hoc judges have been appointed in any high court so far to address pending criminal cases in the country, despite the Supreme Court permitting such appointments nearly a year ago.
The Supreme Court allowed ad hoc appointments in January last year due to rising case pendency. Yet, even after a year, none of India’s 25 high courts has recommended names for ad hoc judges.
This delay raises serious questions about the commitment to resolving pending cases, as over 18 lakh criminal cases are currently pending across high courts.
Ad hoc judges can be appointed up to 10% of a high court’s sanctioned strength. However, the union Law Ministry has not received any recommendations from high court collegiums, according to government documents.
While the appointment process is lengthy and involves scrutiny by the Supreme Court and the signature of the president of India, a year is, in itself, a considerable period.
According to the government, there have still been no appointments despite all procedural clearances being in place.
Given the sheer number of cases awaiting trial, there is an urgent need for such appointments.