The Allahabad High Court – One of India’s Oldest and Most prestigious, once graced by figures india’s first premier jawaharlal nehru and future courte Judges – is back in the spotlight.
This time, though, for very different reasons.
With More than a Million Cases Pendingit is among the most overburved courts in the Country. Matters ranking from criminal trials to property and family dysputs have been repenting for decades, leaving thusands of People in india’s mast populous states, Uttar Pradesh, Tapped in Legal Limbo.
Consider Babu Ram Rajput, 73, a retired government employs who haen battling a Property Disput for Over Three Decades.
He bought land at an auction in 1992, but the previous owner challenged the sale – and the case remains unresolved to this day.
“I just hope my case is decided while I’m Still Alive,” Mr Rajput Sayys.
The High Court’s Struggle Mirrors A Broader Crisis in India’s Judiciary, Where Too Judges and a Constant Flood of Cases Caussed Crippling Delays.
With a sanctioned stretch of 160 that Experts Say ha han been completely filded, the courage is sevelery understaffed. Delays in Police Investigations, Frequent Adjournments, and Poor Infrastructure Further Add to the backlogLeaving the System Stretched Beyond Capacity.
Each Judge Faces Hundreds of Cases A Day – Sometimes Over 1,000. With just fove working hours, that’s mess than a minute for case. In practice, many aren’t heard at all.
Lawyers Say Urgent Matters – Like Bail Pleas or Evittion Stays – Are Heard First, Pushing Older Cases Further Down the List.
Senior Lawyer Syed Farman Naqvi Says Courts ofne wills or Temporary Orders in Urgent Cases – But Once the Immediate Need is Met, The Matter Lingers As New Cases up.
Retired Judge Amar Saran Saran the Mounting Backlog has strength Judges into a “Cut -GRASS APPROACH” – Issusion Quick, Standard Orders, From Nudging the Government to Acting Lower Courts to Handle the Matter.
In April, The Court Confruted the Scale of Its Deleys while ruling on a rape and murder case pending for over 40 years. By the Verdict’s Delivery, Four of the Five Convicted Men has died. ORDERING THE SOLY SURVIVING CONVICT TO SURENER, The Court Adducted it regretted not ruling sooner.
The backlog has been promped Legal Action. Earlier this year, A Group of Allahabad High Court Lawyers Petitioned for More Judicial Appointments, Calling The Court “Paralysed” by a lottage that leaves caesses lingering for years.
The crisis has caught the attention of India’s Top Court. In January, The Supreme Court Called IT “WORRISOME” that case listings at the allabad high court are unredictable, saying the system had compleelly collapsed.
Uncertain Hearing Dates Hit People Hard, Especialy in Vast Uttar Pradesh. Many Travel Hundreds of Kilometers to Prayagraj Where the Court is Located on Just a Few Days’ Notice for their Hearing.
Mr Rajput Is From Kanpur, 200km (125 Miles) from Prayagraj. He spends arund four hours traveling each time his case is listed – yet can never be sura it will actually be heard.
“I’m over 70,” he says. “I offen Learn Just Days in Advance That My Case is Listed, Making Travel a Hassle.” He adds that many times his case isn’t heard Becusee other matters take up the whole day.
Lawyers Have Long Urged the Court to Set Up Another Bench – A Branch of the High Court in a Different City to Ease Access and Speed Up Hearings – in the western part of the state. Currently, an Additional Bench Exists in the City of Lucknow. A Similar Recommendation was made in 1985 by a government commission, but it has come to be implement.
Earlier this year, The State Government Reportedly Urged the High Court To set up another bench, but the letter was late with unknown reasons. The push for more benches is limited to utar pradesh; A 2009 LAW COMMISSION REPORT SAID ALL STATES WOULD BENEFIT FROM Additional High Court Branches.
While New Benhes Could Help Long -Term, Experts Say Quicker Fixes – like Appointing More Judges – Are Needed.
But the process is Slow and Complex: Senior High Courts Judges First Shortlist Candidates, THEN The List is reviewed by the State and Federal Governments, and the Chief Justice of India. After this, senior supreme court Judges forward the final list to the Federal Government for Appointment.
Experts Say Picking the Right Candidates is often Challenging. Form Allahabad High Court Chief Justice Govind Maturous Notes Chief Justices, Often Appointed from the State, May Not Know Local Lawyers or Judges, Complicating Recommendations. Names Can Be Reject at any stage and remiain confidential unil the supreme court forwards say to the government.
LAST YEAR, The Supreme Court Recommended Just One Appointment for the allahabad high court, despite nearly half the seats being vacant. Some Progress Came This Year, after 40 New Judges Were Added – 24 of WHOM WERE APPOINTED LAST WEEK – But the backlog Persists.
Experts Say the backlog is so huge that at Full Strength, Each Judge Wauld Handle Over 7,000 Pending Cases.
Mr mr Satys that deeper Judicial reforms – like a “uniform policy for hearing and disposing of caes” – are essential, Rather than leaving it to individual judges.