CUTTACK: A PIL filed in the Orissa High Court has sought urgent steps to address the shortage of judges, with the court functioning with just 15 judges against a sanctioned strength of 33 and handling around 1.7 lakh pending cases.
Advocate Shivsankar Mohanty has filed the PIL seeking directions to the central government to consider the institutional requirement of adequate judicial strength and expedite the constitutional process for filling up the vacancies. The petition is yet to be listed for hearing.
The petitioner has specifically sought lawful and expeditious processing of the Supreme Court Collegium’s recommendations, approved on August 18, 2026, for appointing four advocates Sasmita Tripathy, Aditya Narayan Das, Rajjeet Roy and Gautam Misra as judges of the Orissa High Court.
Clarifying the scope of his plea, Mohanty said he was not seeking directions concerning the individual suitability or appointment of any particular advocate. Instead, the petition seeks consideration of the institutional need for adequate judicial strength in accordance with the Constitution.
The PIL stated that the shortage of 18 judges, coupled with substantial case pendency, has created serious challenges in the administration of justice, particularly in the timely listing and hearing of cases. It also referred to a press note issued by the Orissa High Court Bar Association on August 17, expressing serious concern over the acute shortage of judges and its impact on the justice delivery system.
“These circumstances demonstrate that the issue is not a matter concerning the private appointment prospects of any individual advocate. It concerns the institutional capacity of a Constitutional Court and the right of litigants to effective and timely access to justice,” the petition stated.
It argued that adequate judicial strength is essential to ensure timely access to justice, particularly for litigants seeking urgent judicial remedies.
The petitioner has urged the court to direct the central government to give due consideration to the existing vacancies and take appropriate steps to fill them in accordance with the Constitution and the prescribed procedure.