Archive · 15 Jun 2025
High Courts Unwilling to Appoint Retired Judges
The Supreme Court wants High Courts to appoint retired judges to help clear the huge number of criminal cases waiting to be heard.
This is allowed by the Constitution.
However, the High Courts haven't started the process.
This is because they haven't sent names of retired judges to the government for approval.
The Supreme Court had also made it easier to appoint these judges by relaxing some of the previous rules.
High Courts have not recommended retired judges as ad-hoc judges.
The Supreme Court approved allowing ad-hoc judge appointments on January 30.
Article 224A of the Constitution allows appointment of retired judges.
Supreme Court relaxed certain conditions for appointing ad-hoc judges.
As of June 11, no High Court had sent proposals to the Union Law Ministry.
- Who
- The Supreme Court, High Courts, and potentially retired judges.
- What
- High Courts are slow to appoint ad-hoc judges, despite Supreme Court approval to address pending cases.
- When
- The Supreme Court approved the idea on January 30, and the article was published on June 15.
- Where
- India, in High Courts.
- Why
- To reduce the backlog of over 18 lakh criminal cases.
Supreme Court
High Courts
Appointment of ad-hoc judges
Supreme Court
Approved and relaxed conditions for ad-hoc judge appointments.
High Courts
High courts should utilize ad-hoc judges.
- Article of Constitution
- 224A
- Case Backlog
- Over 18 lakh criminal cases
- Supreme Court Ruling Date
- January 30
- Maximum Ad-Hoc Judges
- 10% of court's strength
- High Courts in the Country
- 25
