By Rajesh Pandey
The lawyers of the Allahabad High Court, responding to a call by the High Court Bar Association (HCBA), have decided to abstain from judicial work once again on Tuesday, February 25. This move is part of their ongoing protest against the large number of vacant judicial positions in the Allahabad High Court, which they argue is severely impacting the judicial process and access to justice.
Background of the Protest
In a recent meeting of the HCBA’s executive council, presided over by President Anil Tiwari and conducted by Secretary Vikrant Pandey, members discussed the two key demands for which they had abstained from work on February 21. The first demand, regarding proposed amendments to the Advocates’ Act, has been addressed as the central government has temporarily withdrawn the amendments. However, the second demand, which calls for the immediate appointment of judges to fill the vacant posts in the Allahabad High Court, remains unfulfilled. As a result, the HCBA has reaffirmed its decision to continue its protest by boycotting judicial work on February 25.
Critical Shortage of Judges in Allahabad High Court
According to the HCBA, the Allahabad High Court has a sanctioned strength of 160 judges. However, the actual number of judges currently serving is significantly lower. At present, only 55 judges are working at the Allahabad High Court, while its Lucknow Bench has merely 23 judges. This means that the High Court is operating with less than half of its sanctioned judicial strength, causing a severe backlog of pending cases.
The HCBA has expressed deep disappointment over the fact that the Allahabad High Court has never been able to function with its full-sanctioned strength of judges. The association strongly believes that this shortage directly affects the independence of the judiciary and undermines public trust in the judicial system. Due to the insufficient number of judges, the backlog of cases continues to grow, resulting in significant delays in justice delivery. Many cases are not even taken up for several months, further exacerbating the problem.
Demands for Judicial Appointments and Strength Enhancement
Given the growing number of pending cases and the increasing demand for judicial intervention, the HCBA has urged the central government and relevant authorities to not only fill the existing vacancies but also increase the sanctioned strength of judges in the Allahabad High Court. They argue that an increase in the number of judges is necessary to ensure efficient case management and reduce delays in the judicial process.
During the crucial executive council meeting held on Monday, all key office-bearers of the HCBA, including Joint Secretary (Press) Puneet Kumar Shukla, were present. The association remains firm in its stance and continues to call for immediate action to address the judicial shortage at the Allahabad High Court. As the protest intensifies, all eyes are now on the government and judiciary to respond to these pressing demands.