Appointment as HC judges: 23 names pending with govt

One-liner: The names of 23 candidates recommended by various high court collegiums since 2018 and reiterated by the Supreme Court collegium were pending with the govt at the end of 2021.

Driving the news: People aware of the process of appointments to the higher judiciary have said at least seven high courts had recommended these names for appointment as high court judges..

On the other side: Two of the names, one for appointment as judge of the Karnataka HC and the other for appointment as judge of the Jammu and Kashmir HC, have been reiterated by the SC collegium to the govt twice.

Need to know: Both the candidates are advocates. While the name of the candidate from Jammu and Kashmir was recommended in 2018, the name of the candidate from Karnataka was recommended in 2019.

• In 2021, a total of 120 high court judges were appointed. In 2016, a record 126 HC judges were appointed

Looking forward: The combined sanctioned strength of the 25 high courts is 1,098 and as on Dec 1, 2021, they were working with 696 judges -- a vacancy of 402.

The process: The govt has maintained that filling of vacancies in the high courts is a continuous, integrated and collaborative process between the Executive and the Judiciary.

• It requires consultation and approval from various constitutional authorities both at the state and the central level 

Source: PTI