Sun Mar 09 20:49:20 UTC 2025: **Government Delays Ad Hoc Judge Appointments Despite Supreme Court Order**
New Delhi, March 10, 2025 – Over a month after the Supreme Court authorized the appointment of ad hoc judges in High Courts to address a massive case backlog, the government has yet to receive any proposals from the High Courts. The backlog of over 1.8 million criminal cases prompted the Supreme Court’s January 30th ruling, allowing High Courts to appoint up to 10% of their sanctioned strength as ad hoc judges, utilizing Article 224A of the Constitution.
While the standard procedure involves High Court collegiums submitting recommendations to the Union Law Ministry, which then forwards them to the Supreme Court Collegium for final approval before government appointment, no such recommendations have been received for ad hoc judges. The process for ad hoc appointments is similar, except presidential assent is required but not a formal warrant.
The Supreme Court previously addressed the appointment of ad hoc judges in April 2021, setting conditions later relaxed by a special bench. The relaxed conditions allow for the appointment of 2-5 ad hoc judges per High Court (not exceeding 10% of sanctioned strength), who would sit alongside sitting judges to handle pending criminal appeals.
The lack of proposals from the High Courts raises concerns about the efficacy of the Supreme Court’s efforts to alleviate the substantial case backlog plaguing the Indian judicial system.
First Piper 