Imphal: The High Court Bar Association of Manipur (HCBAM) has urged Union Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai to raise the sanctioned strength of judges in the Manipur High Court from five to seven.
A delegation from HCBAM met both the Union Law Minister and the CJI recently in New Delhi.
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During the meeting, they requested the immediate appointment of two judges to fill the existing vacancies and called for an increase in the court’s sanctioned judge strength.
HCBAM President, Senior Advocate Naorem Kumarjit, shared these details with the media in Imphal on Tuesday.
Since its establishment in 2013, the Manipur High Court has consistently functioned with at least one vacant judge position. As of now, the court has only three judges, even though the sanctioned strength stands at four judges and one Chief Justice.
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Kumarjit stated that the ongoing vacancies have contributed to a significant backlog of cases, which has resulted in delayed justice. He added that litigants often blame advocates for the delays, even though the shortage of judges is a major cause.
As of December 31, 2024, the Manipur High Court had 3,651 pending cases, including 3,241 civil cases and 410 criminal cases.
According to the Constitution, a High Court includes a Chief Justice and additional judges. The President of India determines the total number of judges based on the court’s workload.