Punjab & Haryana High Court gets 2 new judges; but 32 vacancies remain
Harmeet Singh Grewal and Deepinder Singh Nalwa were sworn in as additional judges of the Punjab and Haryana High Court by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu on Monday.
With their appointment, the number of judges has risen to 53, though the high court still faces a shortage of 32 judges, as its sanctioned strength is 85. Additionally, three judges are set to retire this year.
The prolonged and intricate process of appointing judges, which requires approvals from state governments, governors, the Supreme Court collegium, and the Union law ministry, has contributed to delays in filling vacancies. This process takes several months, further burdening the judicial system.
These appointments come at a time when the high court is dealing with a backlog of 4.32 lakh cases. According to the National Judicial Data Grid's January figures, nearly 85 percent of these cases have been unresolved for over a year, with some dating back nearly four decades. Of the 4,32,227 pending cases, 2,68,279 are civil matters, while 1,63,948 are criminal cases, impacting fundamental rights such as life and liberty.
Data shows that 15 percent of the pending cases are less than a year old, while 30 percent have been unresolved for five to ten years. Alarmingly, 29 percent have remained pending for over a decade.
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