A total of 164 names for judgeships in various High Courts are at various stages of consideration between the Government and the Supreme Court Collegium, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Thursday.
The Minister said nine judges were appointed to the Supreme Court and 118 to the High Courts as on November 29.
Mr. Rijiju said the Government had already returned the names of 55 candidates proposed by High Court Collegiums on the advice of the Supreme Court Collegium during the course of this year.
The details of the interaction between the Government and the Supreme Court Collegium came out in Mr. Rijiju’s reply in the Rajya Sabha to a question from member John Brittas.
The Minister said vacancies in High Courts keep coming up. There are 402 judicial vacancies in the 25 High Courts as on December 1. The reply said the number of names sent for judgeships by High Court Collegiums pending with the Supreme Court Collegium are 31.
Those pending with the Department of Justice and not yet sent to the Supreme Court Collegium are 75.
The year saw a marathon number of recommendations made from the Supreme Court Collegium to the Government.
