The Court said this unstructured discretion to the Chief Justice and the committees has resulted into the acute shortage of staff in the district judiciary, which is functioning with a shortfall of 7,834 vacancies against a sanctioned strength of 28,552 posts.
The State currently has only 2,603 judicial officers against the existing sanctioned strength of 4,625. 900 of these judicial posts were sanctioned in September.
“As on September 2026, there are a total of 10,352 vacancies in the High Court Registry and the District Judiciary, comprising 1,122 vacancies in the Judicial Officers cadre, 7,834 vacancies in the District Judiciary staff, and 1,396 vacancies in the High Court Registry,” the Court said.
The Court also highlighted that the written examination for 83 posts of the highest judicial service, advertised in December 2023, was conducted in August 2026 but the result is still awaited. No appointment has been made to higher judicial service since September 2022.
“The last notification for Civil Judge (Junior Division) was issued on 10.12.2022 for 303 posts, and the result was declared on 30.08.2023. No recruitment has been conducted for Civil Judge (Junior Division) since 30.08.2023,” the judgment states.
The position stands in instructive contrast to the procedure for the appointment of Judges of the High Court, which is accorded institutional priority, Justice Diwakar said.
These details demonstrate that the absence of a structured framework governing the exercise of administrative discretion has significant consequences, including its bearing upon the administration of justice in the High Court and in the district courts, the judge added.