Bail courts to begin at 9 am amid mounting pendency, judge strength dips to 50

Amid rising pendency and a shrinking judicial strength, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has decided that all Benches hearing criminal bail petitions — barring two — will begin proceedings from 9 am starting May 19 until the onset of summer vacations on May 29. The order, issued by the Chief Justice, aims at expeditious disposal of bail matters, which directly impact personal liberty.

The directive comes as the High Court grapples with a judicial crisis, now functioning with just 50 judges against the sanctioned strength of 85 following the retirement of Justice Sureshwar Thakur. The situation is expected to worsen with the impending superannuation of Justice Manjari Nehru Kaul later this year and nine more judges, including the Chief Justice, in 2026.

The strength fell by three since April, after the elevation of Justice Arun Palli as Chief Justice of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court and the retirement of Justice Karamjit Singh and Justice Sureshwar Thakur.

The pendency remains staggering at 4,28,394 cases, of which 1,66,269 are criminal matters. Nearly 82 per cent of the total backlog has remained unresolved for over a year. The situation is compounded by the slow appointment process. The last recommendation for advocates’ elevation to the Bench was made nearly two years ago, while names of sessions judges from Punjab and Haryana were forwarded only recently after a gap of more than two years.

The National Judicial Data Grid reveals that 28 per cent of the pending cases have been unresolved for over a decade, and 29 per cent for five to ten years, highlighting a systemic strain.

The High Court is reportedly considering names for fresh elevations, but the appointment process — involving multiple layers including state governments, governors, the Supreme Court collegium, and the Union Law Ministry — remains time-consuming. Without urgent intervention, the crisis may deepen, severely impacting the justice delivery system.