Amid massive pendency, Punjab and Haryana HC prioritises cases for 91-yr-olds

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 19

Facing a backlog of over four lakh cases, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has decided to prioritise matters involving applicants aged 91 years or older. The high court as of now has 28,409 cases filed by senior citizens, including 6,729 criminal matters.

For facilitating the swift processing of such cases, the high court has asked the petitioners or their advocates to submit a request letter along with documents on the applicant’s age, such as birth or matriculation certificate, Aadhaar, PAN or senior citizen identity card.

Any other government-approved identity card containing the applicant’s date of birth could also be furnished. In case of illiterate persons, an affidavit duly sworn in by the applicant would suffice. A notice following decision by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu has already been issued in this regard.

The directive is significant as the high court is grappling with a staggering 4,33,730 pending cases, including 1,61,431 criminal matters involving life and liberty. The decision aims to address the undue delays faced by elderly applicants, who, due to their advanced age, encounter unique challenges that can be exacerbated by prolonged legal proceedings.

The court is as of now functioning with a shortage of 30 Judges, operating with just 55 Judges against a sanctioned strength of 85. Aggravating the crisis, six Judges are set to retire by 2025, including three this year.

As many as 15 Judges are eligible for elevation from the category of district and sessions Judges, but their appointments were stalled due to the absence of a regular Chief Justice for almost eight months. The position was left vacant after the retirement of Justice Ravi Shanker Jha in October last year.

Justice Nagu was finally sworn in as Chief Justice on July 9, after a prolonged vacancy. But the Supreme Court has recommended the elevation of the first puisne Justice GS Sandhawalia as Chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, casting uncertainty on when the collegium will next convene to address the mounting shortage.

Even if fresh names are recommended by the high court collegium, the situation is unlikely to improve soon due to the protracted and complex appointment process. Once cleared by the States and the Governors, the recommendations must pass through the Supreme Court collegium before being forwarded to the Union Law Ministry and eventually receiving the President’s approval.

A slight reduction in the pendency of legacy cases has been witnessed during the first half of this year following an initiative aimed at streamlining the judicial system. But the high court remains in urgent need of more Judges.