Supreme Court Suggests Ad-Hoc Judges to Curb Criminal Appeal Backlog

The Supreme Court proposed appointing ad-hoc judges in high courts to address the massive backlog of criminal appeals, highlighting alarming pending figures. It suggested modifying a 2021 judgment for ad-hoc judges to sit with current judges, emphasizing a streamlined appointment process as per Article 224A of the Constitution.

The Supreme Court, on Tuesday, proposed the appointment of ad-hoc judges in high courts to tackle the staggering number of pending criminal appeals. Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, along with Justices B R Gavai and Surya Kant, examined data showing significant backlogs, with Allahabad High Court alone facing 63,000 backlogged criminal appeals.

The Chief Justice noted similar dire situations in other high courts, including Jharkhand, Karnataka, Patna, Rajasthan, and Punjab and Haryana, with thousands of cases awaiting judgment. The bench suggested modifying the 2021 ruling to enable appointment of ad-hoc judges, who would sit with current judges to alleviate the case load.

Emphasizing an efficient appointment process, the bench quoted Article 224A of the Constitution, stating the need for simpler procedures. The apex court aims to address the acute pendency without overburdening the existing appointment process. The law specifies that appointment will only occur if a court operates below 80% of sanctioned judge capacity.

(With inputs from agencies.)