Sanctioned Strength of Supreme Court and High Court Judges, Vacancies and number of pending cases as on 23.01.2024

Sanctioned Strength of Supreme Court and High Court Judges, Vacancies and number of pending cases as on 23.01.2024

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5

TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, THE 02.02.2024

Sanctioned Strength of Supreme Court and High Court Judges

5. SHRI MAHESH SAHOO:

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

(a) the total sanctioned strength of judges in Supreme Court and High Courts across the country along with the number of judges at present;

(b) the number of pending cases in Supreme Court and High Courts, High Court-wise details thereof; and

(c) whether the Government is considering increasing the strength of Supreme Court and High Court judges to get over with the pending cases, if so, the details thereof ?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE; MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS; AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE

(SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHWAL)

(a) to (c): As on 29.01.2024, against the sanctioned strength of 34 Judges, the Supreme Court is functioning at full strength and there is no vacancy. As regards the High Courts, against the sanctioned strength of 1114 Judges, 783 Judges are working and 331 post of Judges are vacant in the various High Courts. The High Court-wise detail of sanctioned strength, working strength and vacancy as on 29.01.2024 is at Annexure-I.

The pendency of cases in courts is not only due to shortage of judges in High Courts but also due to various other factors like (i) increase in number of state and central legislations, (ii) accumulation of first appeals, (iii) continuation of ordinary civil jurisdiction in some of the High Courts, (iv) appeals against orders of quasi-judicial forums going to High Courts, (v) number of revisions/appeals, (vi) frequent adjournments, (vii) indiscriminate use of writ jurisdiction, (viii) lack of adequate arrangement to monitor, tracking and bunching of cases for hearing, (ix) assigning work of administrative nature to the Judges, etc.

The strength of the Supreme Court of India was increased from 31 to 34 Judges (including Chief Justice of India) on 9th August, 2019. Whereas the strength of High Court has increased from 906 in 2014 to 1114Judges.Presently, no complete proposal regarding increase in Judge strength of High Courts is under consideration of the Government.

A statement regarding number of pending cases in Supreme Court and High Courts; High Court-wise is placed at Annexure-II.

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ANNEXURE-I

Statement showing Sanctioned strength, Working Strength and Vacancies of Judges in the Supreme Court of India and the High Courts (as on 29.01.2024)

Statement showing pendency of cases in Supreme Court and the High Courts

The number of cases pending in Supreme Court, as on 23.01.2024, are 80,221 cases. The detailed Statement of High-Court-wise pendency of cases are as per Annexure.