Tribune Information Service
Chandigarh, March 9
Nearly a fortnight after it was reported in these columns that the disaster within the Punjab and Haryana Excessive Courtroom had depended with some instances not developing for listening to for years collectively and impending retirement of Judges, the Bar Affiliation has sought filling of the vacancies. It has additionally requested that no advocate with lower than 15 years of steady common follow earlier than the Punjab and Haryana Excessive Courtroom ought to be thought-about for elevation.
The communication to the Chief Justice (CJ) on this regard got here after the Govt Committee of the Punjab and Haryana Excessive Courtroom Bar Affiliation met and mentioned the difficulty concerning the filling of vacancies.
“The difficulty has been highlighted in newspapers as properly, again and again, particularly in view of the truth that numerous Judges are retiring within the present 12 months in addition to the subsequent 12 months. As it’s, there’s a sanctioned power of 85 Judges on this Excessive Courtroom. Of this, virtually 40 per cent are vacant.
The issue has been aggravated by the truth that 16 of its Judges are retiring within the subsequent two years, together with 5 this 12 months. The Excessive Courtroom collegium final met virtually three years in the past for recommending the names of classes Judges for elevation and almost one and a half years in the past for advocates. Even when the names are finalised now for elevation, it’ll take a very long time for the completion of course of. A sworn statement to this impact is supplied by the truth that 5 advocates really helpful for elevation in August 2020 had been administered oath as Excessive Courtroom Judges solely in October final 12 months. The Excessive Courtroom has 49 Judges towards the sanctioned power of 85.
The enormity of the predicament confronted by the litigants may be gauged from the truth that the Excessive Courtroom on December 10, 2020 put the State of Haryana on discover on a petition alleging the posting of non-State Civil Service Officers on the submit meant for HCS (Govt Department) officers. The petition filed by the Haryana Civil Service (Govt Department) Officers Affiliation was heard once more on January 22, 2021, and has not been heard since then. It’s slated to return up for listening to on September 15. One other petition towards the PPSC is slated to be heard on the identical date.
