Lok Sabha Question No. 3782 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-25
Subject: Appointment of Judges in High Courts
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Chandra Sekhar Bellana, Anumula Revanth Reddy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3782

## TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, THE 25.03.2022

## Appointment of Judges in High Courts

## 3782. SHRI CHANDRA SEKHAR BELLANA: SHRI ANUMULA REVANTH REDDY:

Will the Minister of LAW AND JUSTICE be pleased to state:

- (a) the  number  of  judges  appointed  in  the  High  courtssince  2014,  High  Court-wise and category-wise;
- (b) the details of vacant positions of judges in the High Courts, High Court-wise along with the reasons for such vacancies;
- (c) the  details  of  the  new  seats  created  for  judges  in  High  Courts  since  2014,  High court-wise;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  undertaken  steps  to  fill  up  the  large  number  of vacancies of judges in high courts, if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether the Government has undertaken steps to ensure that the composition of higher  judiciary  reflects  the  socio-economic  diversity  of  our  country,  if  so,  the details therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF LAW AND JUSTICE

## (SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)

(a) to (e): A Statement showing the details of appointment of Judges to the High Courts since 2014 is enclosed herewith as Annexure-A.

As  on  14.03.2022,  against  the  sanctioned  strength  of  1104  Judges  in  the High  Courts,  699  Judges  are  in  position,  leaving  405  vacancies  of  Judges  to  be filled.  Against  405  Vacancies,  at  present,  175  proposals  are  at  various  stages  of processing  between  the  Government  and  the  Supreme  Court  Collegium.  Further recommendations from High Court Collegiums are yet to be received in respect of 230 vacancies in High Courts. The current strength of Judges in the High Courts and details  of  vacant  positions  is  enclosed  at Annexure-B .    Filling  up  of  vacancies  in  the High Courts is a continuous, integrated and collaborative process between the Executive and  the  Judiciary.  It  requires  consultation  and  approval  from  various  Constitutional Authorities both at the State and Centre level. While every effort is made to fill up the existing vacancies expeditiously, vacancies of Judges in High Courts do keep on arising on account of retirement, resignation or elevation of Judges and also due to increase in the strength of Judges.

Since 2014 total 198 seats of Judges have been created in various High Courts the details of which are at Annexure-C .

Appointment of Judges of the High Courts is made under Articles 217 and 224 of the Constitution of India, which do not provide for reservation for any caste or class of persons. However, the Government is committed to social diversity in the appointment of Judges in the in the Higher Judiciary and has been requesting the Chief Justices of High Courts  that  while  sending  proposals  for  appointment  of  Judges,  due  consideration  be given  to  suitable  candidates  belonging  to  Scheduled  Castes,  Scheduled  Tribes,  Other Backward Classes, Minorities and Women to ensure social diversity in appointment of Judges in High Courts.

*****

ANNEXURE-A

(As on 14.03.2022)

| S. No.   | High Court       | Years   | Years   | Years   | Years   | Years   | Years   | Years   | Years   |      | Total   |
|----------|------------------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|------|---------|
| S. No.   | High Court       | 2014    | 2015    | 2016    | 2017    | 2018    | 2019    | 2020    | 2021    | 2022 | Total   |
| 1        | Allahabad        | 13      | 05      | 20      | 31      | 28      | 10      | 04      | 17      | -    | 128     |
| 2        | Andhra Pradesh   | -       | -       | 01      | 10      | -       | 02      | 07      | 02      | 07   | 29      |
| 3        | Bombay           | 14      | 04      | 06      | 14      | 04      | 11      | 04      | 06      | -    | 63      |
| 4        | Calcutta         | 01      | -       | 01      | 06      | 11      | 06      | 01      | 08      | -    | 34      |
| 5        | Chhattisgarh     | 02      | -       | 03      | 03      | 04      | -       | -       | 03      | -    | 15      |
| 6        | Delhi            | 04      | 08      | 05      | 04      | 05      | 04      | -       | 02      | 04   | 36      |
| 7        | Gauhati          | -       | -       | 05      | 02      | 02      | 04      | -       | 06      | -    | 19      |
| 8        | Gujarat          | 01      | 02      | 05      | -       | 04      | 03      | 07      | 07      | -    | 29      |
| 9        | Himachal Pradesh | 03      | -       | 04      | -       | -       | 02      | -       | 01      | -    | 10      |
| 10       | J &Kand Ladakh   | -       | 01      | -       | 03      | 02      | -       | 05      | 02      | -    | 13      |
| 11       | Jharkhand        | 03      | -       | 04      | 02      | 03      | 02      | -       | 04      | -    | 18      |
| 12       | Karnataka        | 05      | -       | 05      | 02      | 12      | 10      | 10      | 06      | -    | 50      |
| 13       | Kerala           | 06      | -       | 05      | 03      | 04      | 01      | 06      | 12      | -    | 37      |
| 14       | Madhya Pradesh   | 07      | 01      | 18      | -       | 08      | 02      | -       | 08      | 06   | 50      |
| 15       | Madras           | -       | 08      | 25      | 12      | 08      | 01      | 10      | 05      | -    | 69      |
| 16       | Manipur          | 01      | -       | 01      | -       | -       | -       | 01      | -       | -    | 03      |
| 17       | Meghalaya        | -       | -       | -       | -       | 01      | 01      | -       | -       | -    | 02      |
| 18       | Orissa           | 03      | -       | -       | -       | 01      | 01      | 02      | 04      | 03   | 14      |
| 19       | Patna            | 04      | -       | 06      | 06      | -       | 04      | -       | 06      | -    | 26      |
| 20       | Punjab& Haryana  | 14      | -       | 01      | 08      | 07      | 10      | 01      | 06      | -    | 47      |
| 21       | Rajasthan        | 01      | 09      | 11      | 05      | -       | 03      | 06      | 08      | -    | 43      |
| 22       | Sikkim           | -       | -       | -       | 01      | -       | -       | -       | -       | -    | 01      |
| 23       | Telangana        | -       | -       | -       | -       | -       | 03      | 01      | 07      | -    | 11      |
| 24       | Tripura          | -       | -       | -       | -       | 01      | -       | 01      | -       | -    | 02      |
| 25       | Uttarakhand      | -       | -       | -       | 03      | 03      | 01      | -       | -       | -    | 07      |
|          | Total            | 82      | 38      | 126     | 115     | 108     | 81      | 66      | 120     | 20   | 756     |

## ANNEXURE-B

(As on 14.03.2022)

## Details  of  Sanctioned  Strength,  Working  strength  and  Vacancies  across  various  High Courts

|       |                      | Sanctioned strength   | Sanctioned strength   | Sanctioned strength   | Working strength   | Working strength   | Working strength   | Vacancies   | Vacancies   | Vacancies   |
|-------|----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
| A. B. | Supreme Court        | Pmt.                  | 34 Addl               | Total                 | Pmt.               | 32 Addl            | Total              | Pmt.        | 2 Addl      | Total       |
| 1     | High Court Allahabad | 120                   | 40                    | 160                   | 74                 | 19                 | 93                 | 46          | 21          | 67          |
| 2     | Andhra Pradesh       | 28                    | 9                     | 37                    | 26                 | 0                  | 26                 | 2           | 9           | 11          |
| 3     | Bombay               | 71                    | 23                    | 94                    | 51                 | 7                  | 58                 | 20          | 16          | 36          |
| 4     | Calcutta             | 54                    | 18                    | 72                    | 31                 | 8                  | 39                 | 23          | 10          | 33          |
| 5     | Chhattisgarh         | 17                    | 5                     | 22                    | 10                 | 3                  | 13                 | 7           | 2           | 9           |
| 6     | Delhi                | 45                    | 15                    | 60                    | 33                 | 0                  | 33                 | 12          | 15          | 27          |
| 7     | Gauhati              | 18                    | 6                     | 24                    | 17                 | 6                  | 23                 | 1           | 0           | 1           |
| 8     | Gujarat              | 39                    | 13                    | 52                    | 32                 | 0                  | 32                 | 7           | 13          | 20          |
| 9     | Himachal Pradesh     | 10                    | 3                     | 13                    | 8                  | 1                  | 9                  | 2           | 2           | 4           |
| 10    | J &Kand Ladakh       | 13                    | 4                     | 17                    | 13                 | 0                  | 13                 | 0           | 4           | 4           |
| 11    | Jharkhand            | 19                    | 6                     | 25                    | 19                 | 1                  | 20                 | 0           | 5           | 5           |
| 12    | Karnataka            | 47                    | 15                    | 62                    | 39                 | 6                  | 45                 | 8           | 9           | 17          |
| 13    | Kerala               | 35                    | 12                    | 47                    | 27                 | 12                 | 39                 | 8           | 0           | 8           |
| 14    | Madhya Pradesh       | 40                    | 13                    | 53                    | 35                 | 0                  | 35                 | 5           | 13          | 18          |
| 15    | Madras               | 56                    | 19                    | 75                    | 44                 | 15                 | 59                 | 12          | 4           | 16          |
| 16    | Manipur              | 4                     | 1                     | 5                     | 3                  | 1                  | 4                  | 1           | 0           | 1           |
| 17    | Meghalaya            | 3                     | 1                     | 4                     | 3                  | 0                  | 3                  | 0           | 1           | 1           |
| 18    | Orissa               | 24                    | 9                     | 33                    | 21                 | 0                  | 21                 | 3           | 9           | 12          |
| 19    | Patna                | 40                    | 13                    | 53                    | 25                 | 0                  | 25                 | 15          | 13          | 28          |
| 20    | Punjab& Haryana      | 64                    | 21                    | 85                    | 43                 | 6                  | 49                 | 21          | 15          | 36          |
| 21    | Rajasthan            | 38                    | 12                    | 50                    | 26                 | 0                  | 26                 | 12          | 12          | 24          |
| 22    | Sikkim               | 3                     | 0                     | 3                     | 3                  | 0                  | 3                  | 0           | 0           | 0           |
| 23    | Telangana            | 32                    | 10                    | 42                    | 19                 | 0                  | 19                 | 13          | 10          | 23          |
| 24    | Tripura              | 4                     | 1                     | 5                     | 5                  | 0                  | 5                  | -1          | 1           | 0           |
| 25    | Uttarakhand          | 9                     | 2                     | 11                    | 7                  | 0                  | 7                  | 2           | 2           | 4           |
| Total | Total                | 833                   | 271                   | 1104                  | 614                | 85                 | 699                | 219         | 186         | 405         |

## ANNEXURE-C

INCREASE IN JUDGE STRENGTH OF THE HIGH COURTS (As on 14.03.2022)

| Sl. No.   | Name of the Court   | Sanctioned Strength   | Judges Strength enhanced by   | Date of Enhancement (After 2014)   |
|-----------|---------------------|-----------------------|-------------------------------|------------------------------------|
|           | High Courts         |                       |                               |                                    |
| 1         | Allahabad           | 160                   | -                             | -                                  |
| 2         | Andhra Pradesh      | 37                    | 12                            | 22.01.2016                         |
| 3         | Bombay              | 94                    | 19                            | 01.04.2015                         |
| 4         | Calcutta            | 72                    | 14                            | 10.05.2016                         |
| 5         | Chhattisgarh        | 22                    | 04                            | 18.03.2015                         |
| 6         | Delhi               | 60                    | 12                            | 01.07.2014                         |
| 7         | Gauhati             | 24                    | -                             | -                                  |
| 8         | Gujarat             | 52                    | 10                            | 18.03.2015                         |
| 9         | Himachal Pradesh    | 13                    | 02                            | 01.07.2014                         |
| 10        | J &Kand Ladakh      | 17                    | 03                            | 01.07.2014                         |
| 11        | Jharkhand           | 25                    | 05                            | 01.07.2014                         |
| 12        | Karnataka           | 62                    | 12                            | 14.10.2014                         |
| 13        | Kerala              | 47                    | 09                            | 26.03.2016                         |
| 14        | Madhya Pradesh      | 53                    | 10                            | 01.07.2014                         |
| 15        | Madras              | 75                    | 15                            | 21.12.2015                         |
| 16        | Manipur             | 05                    | 01                            | 26.10.2015                         |
| 17        | Meghalaya           | 04                    | 01                            | 26.10.2015                         |
| 18        | Orissa              | 33                    | 05 &06                        | 14.10.2014& 02.02.2022             |
| 19        | Patna               | 53                    | 10                            | 26.10.2015                         |
| 20        | Punjab& Haryana     | 85                    | 17                            | 01.07.2014                         |
| 21        | Rajasthan           | 50                    | 10                            | 14.10.2014                         |
| 22        | Sikkim              | 03                    | -                             | -                                  |
| 23        | Telangana           | 42                    | 18                            | 09.06.2021                         |
| 24        | Tripura             | 05                    | 01                            | 07.01.2021                         |
| 25        | Uttarakhand         | 11                    | 02                            | 14.10.2014                         |
| Total     | Total               | 1104                  | 198                           |                                    |