10 Punjab, Haryana Sessions Judges sworn in as High Court Judges; strength rises to 59

Ten District and Sessions Judges from Punjab and Haryana were on Monday sworn in as Additional Judges of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, taking the court’s working strength to 59 against the sanctioned strength of 85.

The appointments come as part of a concerted institutional push to reduce a pendency of 4,33,720 cases—an effort that the High Court has been steadily pursuing over the past several months.

The oath was administered by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu at a simple yet impressive ceremony in the High Court auditorium. The event was attended by sitting and retired judges, senior bureaucrats, members of the legal fraternity, and family of the newly appointed judges.

Those who took oath include Virinder Aggarwal, Mandeep Pannu, Amarinder Singh Grewal, Parmod Goyal, Rupinderjit Chahal, Shalini Singh Nagpal, Subhas Mehla, Surya Partap Singh, Aaradhna Sawhney, and Yashvir Singh Rathor.

The elevations are expected to lend substantial momentum to case disposal at a time when the High Court is engaged in the arduous task of dismantling a backlog accumulated over decades.

The move also comes against the backdrop of growing anticipation that names of advocates for elevation to the Bench may be forwarded in the coming months —promising to infuse the judiciary with long-overdue representation from the Bar.

Despite the urgency, the judicial appointment process remains a protracted affair, involving clearance at multiple levels—first by the respective state governments, followed by governors, then the Supreme Court collegium, and finally the Union Ministry of Law and Justice.

The process typically stretches over several months, slowing down efforts to fill vacancies even as judicial work continues to pile up.