NEW DELHI, Mar 27:
A Parliamentary Committee on Thursday called for synergy between the Executive and the Judiciary for timely filling up of vacancies of Judges in the 25 high courts and said there was a need to develop an institutional mechanism to align new appointments with retirements.
It also said that the process of judicial appointment and pendency of cases are critical issues that require “urgent attention”.
In its report on demands for grants for 2025-26 of the Department of Justice in the Law Ministry, the committee said, “There must be synergy between the Judiciary and the Government to ensure timely processing of recommendations and appointments.
“The committee feels that a coordination mechanism should be developed between the Judiciary and the Ministry of Law and Justice to track the status of appointments delays”.
It said an institutional mechanism “may be” developed wherein the process of the retirement of a Judge and the appointment of his or her successor is aligned which would ensure that the vacancy is filled immediately after the retirement..
The High Courts with the most significant backlog — Allahabad, Bombay, and Rajasthan — should be prioritised for judicial appointments, it proposed.
The panel said the judicial workforce could be augmented by hiring more administrative staff, junior judicial officers, and court assistants to ensure smooth and efficient operations.
During its recent study visit to the Kerala High Court, the committee had observed the successful deployment of mobile legal aid Units (Mobile E-sewa Kendras) which get stationed periodically in the districts in remote areas.
These units have been actively providing legal services to people in far-flung locations, particularly in large tribal population, where they have played a crucial role in delivering justice.
The committee recommended the expansion of the services to other remote areas to conduct awareness sessions and assist people in accessing legal services, in the country.
As on March 1, out of a sanctioned strength of 1122 Judges, the High Courts had 359 vacancies. (PTI)
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