Judges’ appointments not public recruitment, alive to shortage: Delhi HC

Delhi High Court addresses judge appointment process, urges petitioner to trust administrative side, acknowledges judiciary's awareness.

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday (May 14, 2025) said the process of appointing high court judges was not akin to a “normal recruitment” in a “public service” and the judiciary was alive to the issue.

The court asked asked the petitioner to leave the matter to its administrative side.

“These are high constitutional offices. These are not normal recruitment to public service. You can’t say that respondent no 1 (Centre) and 2 (high court) are not alive to the situation,” the court said.

“I would request you to leave the matter to respondent 1 and 2 on the administrative side. Everyone associated with the judicial system is alive to the situation. It is not that efforts are not being made,” the court said.

Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma said the Supreme Court was already dealing with the broader issues related to the appointment of judges.

The petitioner, advocate Amit Sahni, sought to withdraw the plea and move the top court.

The plea sought urgent judicial intervention with respect to the “alarming and chronic shortage” of judges in the high court, saying it “adversely impacted the timely dispensation of justice and the functioning of the judiciary”.