The Union government has cleared the appointment of 14 judges at four high courts across the country, the Law Ministry announced through separate notifications on Tuesday.
Delhi High Court emerges as the biggest beneficiary, with two permanent judges and five additional judges being appointed. The inclusion of additional judges signals that the court continues to face a significant pendency challenge and requires supplementary judicial strength on a temporary basis to manage its workload.
The Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court, which serves as the single high court for the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh since its reorganisation in 2019, receives one permanent judge in this round of appointments.
While the Law Ministry notifications confirmed appointments at the aforementioned courts, sources indicated that two other high courts also feature in the list, bringing the total number of appointments to 14. However, the specific names of the courts and the appointees were not fully detailed in the initial government communication.
The appointment of additional judges is a provision under Article 217 of the Constitution, allowing the president to appoint judges for a fixed term of up to two years. These judges receive the same salary and perks as permanent judges but do not have the security of tenure until they are subsequently elevated as permanent judges following a positive performance review.
Judicial appointments in India follow a collegium-driven process, wherein the Supreme Court collegium recommends names to the government, which then issues the formal appointment orders. The current round of appointments comes at a time when several high courts across the country are grappling with mounting case backlogs and vacancies in their sanctioned strength.
Legal experts said the additions will help reduce the already heavy burden on existing judges and may ease case delays in some of the most congested courts in the country.
