National

Expedite process of filling judges' vacancies: Centre

By J. Venkatesan

NEW DELHI JAN. 7. Expressing concern over the inordinate delay in filling judges vacancies in the High Courts and the resultant arrears of about 36 lakh cases, the Centre has again written to the Chief Justices of the High Courts, the Governors and the Chief Ministers to send proposals for filling the present vacancies and also for those due to arise in the next six months.

According to Law Ministry sources, the Government of India has been repeatedly urging the High Courts and the States that the entire process of filling a vacancy should be undertaken six months before it arises so that the post is filled without any delay.

Sources say that the Union Law Minister, Jana Krishnamurthy, who is keen on evolving a mechanism by which the vacancies are filled as and when they arise, in a recent letter, has impressed on the constitutional authorities to ensure that the vacancies are filled before March 31, 2003, when the new mechanism will be put in place.

The process of filling the vacancies is solely dependent on the timely and advance consultation between the Chief Justice of the concerned High Court, the Chief Minister and the Governor of the State concerned. The Government has, therefore, reiterated that the Chief Justices and the Chief Ministers should fill the vacancies at the earliest.

Of the sanctioned strength of 26 judges in the Supreme Court, at present there is one vacancy. In the 21 High Courts, there are 143 vacancies, while the sanctioned strength is 647 judges. At the end of December last, the Government received recommendations for filling 70 vacancies, including nine for the Madras High Court.

The vacancies in various High Courts include: Allahabad 37; Madras 11; Gujarat 10; Punjab and Haryana 9; Calcutta 8; Bombay, Rajasthan and Patna, 7 each and Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir, 5 each. The proposals for the remaining vacancies are yet to be received from the Chief Justices.

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu