"Government Fully Committed To Filling Up Vacancies In Judiciary Expeditiously": Law Minister Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad

The Hon'ble Minister for Law & Justice, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad informed the Lok Sabha on February 3, 2021 that the vacancies of Judges in Supreme Court stands at 4 and those in 25 High Courts across India stands at 419.

With respect to the vacancies in High Courts of Delhi, Bombay and Calcutta he answered there were 31, 30 and 40 vacancies of judges, he stated.

The reply by the Law Minister further stated that as far as the procedure for appointment of High Court Judges are concerned, the proposal for appointment is initiated by the Chief Justice of that High Court. The role of the Government is solely to appoint those persons as Judges of High Courts who are recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium (SCC).

On February 2, 2021, Shri Kalyan Banerjee from All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), had asked the Minister of Law and Justice, Hon'ble Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad to answer on the floor of the Lok Sabha if there were vacancies for judges in the Supreme Court and other High Courts in the country.

During the last three years the data for recommendations and proposals are-

“2018, 2019, 2020, High Court Collegium's made 505 recommendations, out of which 177 names, which were recommended by SCC were appointed by the Government as High Court Judges in various High Courts. 134 names were rejected by SCC and remitted to High Courts and remaining 194 proposals received from various High Court Collegium are under various stages of processing with Government and SCC.”

He then went on to state the details of appointment of judges in the Supreme Court and the High Courts during the period of May, 2014 to 2021(till 1.2.2021)-

• 35 Judges were appointed in Supreme Court of India
• 570 fresh Judges were appointed in the various High Courts
• 520 Additional judges were appointed as Permanent Judges of High Courts

The answer by the Law Minister comes in light of a question by Shri Kalyan Banerjee from All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) who had asked the Minister of Law and Justice, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad to answer if there were vacancies for judges in the Supreme Court and other High Courts in the country.

He questioned the action that had been taken on the part of the Government to fill up these vacancies during the last two years and if not, by what time will the vacancies are likely to be filled up for disposing of cases at faster pace.

1. “Whether there are four vacancies of judges in the Supreme Court and another 411 vacancies of judges in 25 High Courts in the country including 38 vacancies in Calcutta High Court and 30 each in Bombay and Delhi High Courts;
2. if so, the action taken by the Government to fill up these vacancies during the last two years; and
3. the time by which all the vacancies are likely to be filled up for early disposal of cases?”

The Law Minister went on to state that, filling up such vacancies was a continuous, integrated and collaborative task performed between the Executive and the Judiciary. "The process requires a period of consultation from various constitutional authorities and hence, the answer to the third question cannot be indicated," he said.

To conclude, he remarked that the Government is fully committed to fill up vacancy expeditiously in a time - bound manner.