In Brief
The Supreme Court activated the dormant Article 224A to address a critical crisis: over 57 lakh pending cases and 40% judicial vacancies in High Courts. The Court held that retired judges may be appointed as ad hoc judges with their consent to clear old cases. Ad hoc judges receive full salary and benefits (excluding pension) and must be assigned cases pending over five years. Appointments require President's consent and follow the Memorandum of Procedure (~3 months). The Court set trigger points (20%+ vacancies or old pending cases) and safeguards (recommendations for 80%+ regular vacancies before ad hoc recourse). Tenure is typically 2–3 years with 2–5 judges per court. The Court issued continuing mandamus with four-month review cycles to monitor implementation.
The lawyer headnote and full judgment text are available to registered users.