Lawyers rue shortage of judges at Patna HC

PATNA: The Advocates’ Association on Saturday wrote to Patna high court Chief Justice Sanjay Karol, expressing concern over acute shortage of judges and requesting him to ensure increase in the strength of sanctioned posts of judges from 53 to 75.
The association also urged Karol to start physical functioning of the high court, subordinate courts, tribunals and other courts across state preferably from this month with all Covid safety protocols.
The letter was written by senior lawyer Yogesh Chandra Verma. The copies of the letter would also be sent to the President of India, PM, Chief Justice of India, Union and state law ministers.
“There is an acute shortage of judges at Patna high court as well as subordinate courts. The high court has just 19 judges against its strength of 53,” Verma wrote.
He also highlighted in the letter that Justice Prabhat Kumar Jha is scheduled to superannuate on July 15 and Justice Rajendra Kumar Mishra on September 30 this year and it will bring down the strength of the sitting judges to 17.
“Litigants in Bihar and lawyers have never seen functioning of the court with such a small number of judges. It affects the justice delivery system,” Verma wrote in the letter.