In a parliamentary session on Thursday, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal emphasized the collaborative nature of the judicial appointment process between the Executive and the Judiciary. Responding to a query by Congress MP Shaktisinh Gohil regarding judicial vacancies, Meghwal informed the Rajya Sabha that the appointment of judges is an ongoing process, shedding light on the current status of High Court vacancies.
Out of the 1,114 sanctioned posts for High Court judges, a significant 324 positions remain vacant. The Law Minister assured the Parliament that the Government is actively working to fill 122 of these vacancies.
While the Supreme Court is operating at its full strength with 34 judges, the High Courts face a notable gap, with 324 positions unoccupied against the sanctioned strength of 1,114 judges.
Meghwal detailed the progress made in judicial appointments, stating that out of 292 proposals received from various High Court Collegiums this year, 110 judges have been appointed. Additionally, 60 recommendations have been referred back to the High Courts based on advice from the Supreme Court Collegium. As of December 4, 122 proposals are in different stages of processing.
Highlighting the collaborative aspect of the appointment process, Meghwal clarified that the Chief Justice of the High Court is responsible for initiating proposals to fill vacancies six months before they occur. However, he acknowledged that this timeline is not consistently adhered to by the High Courts. All names recommended by the High Court Collegium are forwarded to the Supreme Court Collegium for advice. The Government, in turn, appoints judges only from those individuals recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium.
The Law Minister said that for the remaining vacancies, the Government is awaiting recommendations from the respective High Court Collegiums.
Addressing the Parliament, the Law Minister further informed that, the number of judges in the Supreme Court has been increased from 31 to 34, ensuring the strength of the judiciary. Also, the total sanctioned strength of judges in the High Court has also been increased from 906 to 1114.
