PIL Flags 40% Judicial Vacancies In Delhi High Court, Seeks Expeditious Filling Of Posts

A public interest litigation has been filed before the Delhi High Court seeking expeditious filling of the judicial vacancies in the Court by elevating eligible District Judges and Advocates from the Bar.The PIL has been filed by lawyer Amit Sahni as petitioner in person. The Delhi High Court has a sanctioned strength of 60 judges. As per the plea, the Court is currently functioning with only 36 judges, reflecting a vacancy rate of 40%.“This serious shortfall has arisen due to retirements, recent inter- court transfers, and inaction in appointing judges despite the constitutional mandate and existing Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) requiring appointments to be initiated well before vacancies,” the plea said.The plea refers to recent retirement of Justice Rekha Palli and Justice Anoop Kumar Mendiratta as well as transfers of Justice Yashwant Varma, Justice C.D. Singh, and Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma to other High Courts. It further states that two more retirements are expected in the coming months (of Justice Dharmesh Sharma and Justice Shalinder Kaur) which will reduce the strength to 34 judges, which will further exacerbate the pendency and judicial delays.The PIL states that the issue would concern the middle and lower socio-economic classes the most as the said groups often face significant delays in accessing justice due to the overburdened court system. It further adds that by appointing more judges, the High Court can handle cases more efficiently, reduce pendency, and ensure quicker resolution of disputes in the larger public interest.“The issue raised in the petition is essential for speedy disposal of cases to avoid erosion of public faith in judicial system. Not only the issue raised in the petition would benefit public at large, but the Hon'ble Judges as well because the excessive caseload on the existing benches adversely affects the health, morale and judicial efficiency,” the plea states. The respondents in the plea are Union Ministry of Law and Justice, Delhi High Court, Title: AMIT SAHNI v. UNION OF INDIA (MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE) THROUGH ITS SECRETARY AND OTHERS

PIL Flags 40% Judicial Vacancies In Delhi High Court, Seeks Expeditious Filling Of Posts

Nupur Thapliyal

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