In Brief
India's High Courts face a severe staffing crisis with approximately 40% of judgeships vacant, leaving many courts operating at below 50% capacity. The Supreme Court addressed this systemic problem by setting binding timelines for the entire judge appointment process—from High Court recommendations through Intelligence Bureau clearance, Government processing, and Supreme Court Collegium review. The Court emphasized that while appointment involves collaboration between judiciary and executive, delays are justiciable and must be eliminated. Chief Justices were directed to make recommendations promptly without waiting for earlier lists to be processed, and the Government was instructed to either approve or return candidates with specific reasons within prescribed periods to enable timely judicial appointments.
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