Centre's indifference is behind ongoing cease-work: Calcutta HC lawyers

Claiming an "inordinate delay" in the appointment of judges to the Calcutta High Court by the Centre, despite the Supreme Court collegium clearing five names, lawyers' bodies on Thursday alleged that the indifference of the Union law ministry had led to the extension of their ongoing ceasework.

Stating that the Supreme Court collegium had cleared the names of five persons on December 4, 2017 for appointment to the post of judges, three lawyers' associations at the high court said the silence of the government on the issue was "surprising".

"The government is sitting on the recommendations of the apex court even as the number of sitting judges at the high court has gone down to only 35 per cent of its sanctioned strength," Calcutta High Court Incorporated Law Society president Mukul Lahiri said.

Addressing a joint conference of the three associations, he said, "The inordinate delay in taking forward the recommendations of the Supreme Court by the Centre amounts to a contravention of the constitutional obligation of ensuring justice to all."
The high court now has only 30 judges, of whom two are always on rotation at the Andaman and Nicobar Circuit Bench, as against the sanctioned strength of 72.