PIL Before Delhi High Court Seeks Urgent Action to Fill Judicial Vacancies

The Delhi High Court is expected to hear next week a PIL that has been filed before it, seeking urgent judicial intervention in light of the "alarming and chronic" shortage of judges in the court.
A bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela will hear the matter.
Filed by Advocate Amit Sahni under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, the plea highlights that while the sanctioned strength of the Delhi High Court is 60 judges, including 45 permanent and 15 additional, the court is currently functioning with only 36 judges, resulting in a 40% vacancy.
Noting that a serious shortfall has arisen due to retirements and court transfers, the PIL states that Justice Rekha Palli and Justice Anoop Kumar Mendiratta have retired recently. On the other hand, Justice Yashwant Varma, Justice C.D. Singh, and Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma have recently been transferred.
Pointing out that two more retirements are expected in the coming months, the PIL has asserted that this would reduce the strength to merely 34 judges, which will exacerbate pendency and judicial delays.
Therefore, the petition has sought the indulgence of the court, seeking directions to the concerned authorities for expeditious action in filling the judicial vacancies by elevating eligible District Judges and Advocates from the Bar, thereby ensuring effective functioning of the Hon'ble High Court.
Stressing that such shortages hit the middle and lower socio-economic classes the most, the plea states that these groups often face significant delays in accessing justice due to the overburdened court system.
It has also added that by appointing more judges, the court can handle cases more efficiently, reduce pendency, and ensure quicker resolution of disputes in the larger public interest.
Lastly, the PIL underscores that the appointments would not only serve the larger public interest but would also reduce the workload of sitting judges.
"Not only does the issue raised in the petition benefit the public at large, but the Hon'ble Judges as well because the excessive caseload on the existing benches adversely affects the health, morale, and judicial efficiency," it adds.
Case Title: Amit Sahni v Union of India