by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group
The current logjam on higher judicial appointments has affected the entire judicial system. Its impact on the 28 high courts is grave. These courts of appeal in the states are particularly in the crisis zone with about half the sanctioned posts of judges lying vacant while four million cases are pending. Those to whom justice is delayed are mostly ordinary people, including many who are detained and awaiting trial, and many more who complain that they have been illegally dispossessed or harmed. Obviously with such hapless victims of the judicial system's failure in mind that Chief Justice of India T.S. Thakur made a rather startling remark on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day speech, saying, "I was hoping he (Modi) will speak about issues plaguing the justice delivery system. However, he did not. I request the government to pay attention to our judiciary, especially appointment of judges".
