At least 35 posts of judges are lying vacant at different levels in the Jammu and Kashmir judiciary, the government informed the legislative assembly on Thursday.
Responding to cut-motion of National Conference leader Ali Muhammad Sagar, the state’s law minister Abdul Haq Khan, in a written reply, disclosed that the working strength of judges is 235 against the sanctioned strength of 270.
The High Court is short of six judges given its sanctioned strength, the reply reads.
“Against the sanctioned strength of 17 judges, the existing strength of judges in the state’s top court is 11,” the reply reads.
As already reported by Greater Kashmir, the High Court collegium had last year recommend five names to fill up the equal number of vacancies.
The reply also revealed that J&K is facing shortage of judges at other levels in the judiciary.
Against the sanctioned strength of 75 district judges, 64 are in place, leaving 11 vacancies to be filled up.
Similarly, the number of vacancies of sub-judges and munsiffs is three and 15 respectively, as per the reply.
The working strength of sub-judges is 68 against the sanctioned strength of 71, while the existing strength of munsiffs is 92 against the sanctioned strength of 107.
The government also disclosed that 2.20 lakh cases are pending in the High Court and subordinate courts in the state.
Of these, 62,040 cases are pending in the High Court and 1,60,154 in the subordinate courts.
Meanwhile, the government on Thursday said that there are 44 complaints and inquiries against judges in the state.
Responding to cut-motion of MLA Langate Er Rashid, Law minister Abdul Haq Khan, in a written reply, said that there are 37 complaints against judges of different ranks in the state.
The reply also reveals that there are seven regular inquiries against judges in the state.