In Brief
The Supreme Court addressed the critical shortage of judges in India's High Courts, where nearly 40% of sanctioned positions remain vacant, with some major courts operating below 50% capacity. Rather than review individual appointment decisions, the Court established mandatory procedural timelines for the appointment process itself: Intelligence Bureau must submit reports within 4–6 weeks of a High Court Collegium recommendation; the Central Government must forward recommendations to the Supreme Court within 8–12 weeks; and final appointments must be made within 3–4 weeks thereafter. The Court emphasized that both the judiciary and Executive must act promptly in this collaborative process to ensure timely justice delivery.
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