The Orissa High Court Bar Association has expressed concern over the declining number of judges at the High Court and urged the Supreme Court Collegium to expedite the appointment process to fill the existing vacancies.
The Bar has warned that continued vacancies could seriously affect the functioning of the High Court and push the justice delivery system towards a “standstill”.
The lawyers’ body emphasised that adequate judicial strength is essential to handle the growing volume of litigation and ensure that cases are heard and decided without undue delay. The concern also highlights the continuing impact of judicial vacancies on litigants awaiting adjudication.
The Orissa High Court has a sanctioned strength of 27 judges. Vacancies in the High Court have been a longstanding concern. The issue had also come into focus in 2019 when the court was functioning with only around half of its sanctioned strength, with lawyers raising concerns over the resulting pendency.
The Bar’s latest demand assumes significance as a reduced Bench strength limits the number of matters that can be heard each day and increases the workload on the judges currently serving on the Bench. Prolonged vacancies can consequently affect both the pace of hearings and the disposal of cases.
The Bar Association has called for the vacancies to be filled through a time-bound process and urged the Supreme Court Collegium to act expeditiously on recommendations for appointment to the High Court.
The association has previously raised concerns over the process of judicial appointments. In 2019, it had sought the elevation of regular practitioners of the Orissa High Court to fill vacant posts and expressed reservations over recommendations involving lawyers who were not regular practitioners before the court.
The disagreement had then led to protests and abstention from the courts of the Chief Justice and two senior-most judges who constituted the High Court Collegium. The Supreme Court subsequently intervened and criticised the lawyers’ agitation, stressing that litigants should not be deprived of access to justice because of disputes concerning judicial appointments.
The Bar’s present demand, however, is centred on the broader institutional need to ensure that the High Court has sufficient judicial capacity to discharge its constitutional responsibilities.
The association has maintained that judicial vacancies should not be viewed merely as an administrative issue. Each unfilled post reduces the court’s capacity to hear and dispose of cases and places additional pressure on the judges who continue to function with an increased workload.
Against this backdrop, the Bar has sought timely intervention by the Supreme Court Collegium to advance the appointment process and enable the High Court to operate closer to its sanctioned strength.
The demand brings renewed focus on judicial vacancies and their implications for access to justice, timely adjudication and the effective functioning of the constitutional courts.
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