The High Court of Karnataka on Friday adjourned till November 15 further hearing on a PIL petition seeking a direction to the Union government to expedite the appointment of judges to the High Court.
A Division Bench comprising Justice Ravi Malimath and Justice John Michael Cunha adjourned hearing while seeking the details of a recent order of a three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court related to the memorandum of procedure for appointment of judges to the higher judiciary. Earlier, appearing for one of the three petitioners, senior counsel B.V. Acharya pointed out that it would take 10 to 20 years to clear all the 3.11 lakh pending cases even if the number of judges is increased to the full strength of 62, and this without adding a single new case.
In their petition, A.N. Venugopala Gowda, a retired judge of the High Court, and S. Basavaraj and B.M. Arun, both advocates, have pointed out the difficulty faced by advocates, litigants and the existing 25 judges owing to delays in disposal of cases as 37 judge posts are vacant in the High Court.
