Verdict is out: High Court appointments at 9-year high, shows data

At the SC, against a sanctioned strength of 34, 27 judges, including the Chief Justice of India, are working

In his maiden address to the Rajya Sabha, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar slammed the Supreme Court (SC) for invalidating the National Judicial Appointments Commission Bill, calling it a ‘disregard for the people’s mandate’.

While the government and the SC collegium are going back and forth on the appointments, an analysis reveals that 153 appointments at various high courts (HCs) have taken place over the year (until October) — the highest in nine years.

Further research shows vacancies have also come down to a five-year low. The vacancies at HCs had risen to 419, or 40 per cent of the workforce,