'Can't Expect High Courts To Handle All Matters Swiftly With Half Strength': Top Court

The Supreme Court stated on Tuesday that high courts do not fall under its supervisory jurisdiction and it would be unreasonable to expect them to handle all cases promptly when operating at half capacity.

While high courts have a sanctioned strength of 1,122 judges, they are currently operating with only 792 judges on duty.

A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta declined to entertain a petition seeking directions for the Allahabad High Court to expedite an appeal that had been pending for over 13 years.

"The high courts are not under the supervisory control of this court," Justice Nath emphasized during the hearing.

When the petitioner's counsel mentioned that two applications had already been filed in the high court requesting early disposal of the matter, the bench responded, "Continue filing. If the high courts are functioning on half the strength, how do you expect them to cope with all the matters as expeditiously as you want? There are older matters pending. Go and make a request."

The bench permitted the petitioner to approach the high court with another request for early listing and resolution of the pending case, assuring that such an application would be considered accordingly.

Justice Nath shared his personal experience as a former advocate who practiced at the Allahabad High Court for many years, noting the considerable effort required to get matters listed. "Two applications is nothing. You may have to file hundreds of applications to get your matter listed," he remarked.

According to data available on the law ministry website, while the sanctioned strength of judges in high courts stands at 1,122, they are currently functioning with only 792 judges, leaving 330 positions vacant as of September 1.