{"id":152739,"date":"2025-01-24T19:40:48","date_gmt":"2025-01-24T14:10:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/?post_type=current-affairs&#038;p=152739"},"modified":"2025-01-24T19:44:35","modified_gmt":"2025-01-24T14:14:35","slug":"ad-hoc-high-court-judges","status":"publish","type":"current-affairs","link":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/current-affairs\/ad-hoc-high-court-judges","title":{"rendered":"Ad Hoc High Court Judges"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Supreme Court has suggested the appointment of<\/span><b> ad hoc judges in High Courts <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to address the large backlog of criminal appeals.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Need to appoint Ad Hoc Judges<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Pending Cases : <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SC highlighted data showing<\/span><b> significant pendency in several High Courts<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, including<\/span><b> 63,000 criminal appeals in the Allahabad High Court alone.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>High Vacancy : <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the recent report published by the <\/span><b>Department of Justice , <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High Courts around the country<\/span><b> have 327 vacancies <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">against their <\/span><b>collective sanctioned strength of 1114 judges.\u00a0<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These vacancies include<\/span><b> 161 permanent posts and 166 temporary posts for additional judges.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Enroll now for UPSC Online Course<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>About Ad Hoc High Court Judges<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Constitutional Provision:<\/b> <b>Article 224A<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0 allows the <\/span><b>Chief Justice of a High Court<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to request retired High Court judges to perform judicial duties.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Requirement for Appointment: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The<\/span><b> President of India\u2019s prior consent <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is<\/span><b> mandatory<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for such appointments.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Entitlements:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Ad hoc judges receive allowances as determined by the President\u2019s order.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They enjoy all the jurisdiction, powers, and privileges of a judge of that High Court.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Procedure for appointment: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u00a0 was outlined in the<\/span><b> 1998 Memorandum of Procedure (MOP).<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The retired judge must consent to the appointment.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Chief Justice forwards the judge&#8217;s name to the Chief Minister.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Chief Minister sends the recommendation to the Union Law Minister.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Union Law Minister consults the Chief Justice of India (CJI) before forwarding the recommendation to the Prime Minister.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Prime Minister advises the President, who grants final approval.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Time Frame for Appointment<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Ad hoc judges can be appointed for a term of <\/span><b>2-3 years, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">with a <\/span><b>possible extension up to five years.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Scope of Ad Hoc Judges&#8217; Role:<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They should focus on resolving old cases pending for more than five years.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Handling election petitions and other cases requiring urgent resolution.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Lok Prahari Case (2021)<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Supreme Court ruled that the<\/span><b> recommendation must be routed through the Collegium of the Supreme Court, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">comprising the CJI and the two seniormost judges.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Trigger points for Appointment of Ad Hoc Judges:\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The process of Ad HC Judge appointment can begin if a<\/span><b> High Court has a vacancy level exceeding 20% <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">o<\/span><b>f its sanctioned strength <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(excluding additional judges).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cases pending in the High Court for more than five years exceed<\/span><b> 10% of the backlog.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Prioritization of Regular Appointments<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ad hoc judges <\/span><b>should not be appointed in High Courts functioning with 80% <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">or more of their sanctioned strength.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ad hoc appointments should only be considered<\/span><b> after all efforts to fill regular vacancies are exhausted.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Such appointments must not replace or delay the<\/span><b> regular appointment process.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books\/upsc-modules?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+Modules\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check Out UPSC Modules From PW Store<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>When Have Ad Hoc Judges Been Appointed in the Past?<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Rarely Invoked Provision: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Article 224A has been invoked only a few times:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Justice Suraj Bhan (1972):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Appointed to the Madhya Pradesh High Court to handle election petitions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Justice P. Venugopal (1982):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Appointed to the Madras High Court with tenure extended by one year.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Justice O.P. Srivastava (2007):<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Appointed to the Allahabad High Court for adjudicating the Ayodhya title suits.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<span class=\"vc_button\"><b>Additional Reading: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/upsc-notes\/high-court\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>High Court<\/b><\/a><\/span>\n<p><b><i>R<\/i><\/b><b><i>eady to boost your UPSC 2025 preparation?<\/i><\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b><i>Join PW&#8217;s UPSC online courses<\/i><\/b><\/a><b><i> today!<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<div class=\"vc_table_green\"><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.6375%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 111.19%; text-align: center;\" colspan=\"2\"><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Also Read<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 49.797%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/editorial-analysis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>UPSC Daily Editorials<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 61.393%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/daily-current-affairs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>UPSC Daily Current Affairs<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 49.797%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/quiz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Daily Current Affairs Quiz<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 61.393%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/mains-answer-writing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Daily Main Answer Writing<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 49.797%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books\/upsc-previous-year-papers?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+Previous+Year+Papers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Check Out Previous Years Papers From PW Store<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 61.393%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/upsc-test-series-courses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>UPSC Test Series<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 49.797%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books\/upsc-textbooks?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+Textbooks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Check Out UPSC NCERT Textbooks From PW Store<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 61.393%; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books\/upsc-modules?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+Modules\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Check Out UPSC Modules From PW Store<\/b><\/a><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Supreme Court has suggested the appointment of ad hoc judges in High Courts to address the large backlog of criminal appeals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":152712,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"paper-wise":[2084],"subject":[2124],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs\/152739"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/current-affairs"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=152739"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs\/152739\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":152744,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs\/152739\/revisions\/152744"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/152712"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=152739"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=152739"},{"taxonomy":"paper-wise","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/paper-wise?post=152739"},{"taxonomy":"subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/subject?post=152739"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}