To,

The Hon’ble Judges of the Supreme Court of India Collegium.

&

The Hon’ble Judges of the Jharkhand High Court Collegium.

Subject: Respectful Request for Expedited Appointment of Judges to the Jharkhand High Court

Respected Hon’ble Judges,

We, the undersigned—comprising advocates, litigants, professionals, and concerned citizens—approach this august forum with profound respect for the judiciary and an unwavering faith in its ability to uphold the rule of law. We are acutely aware of the tremendous dedication with which the present 13 judges are discharging their duties, often under immense pressure. Yet, it is with a deep sense of responsibility that we bring to your kind notice a crisis that, if left unaddressed, threatens to undermine the very essence of justice in this state.

 
The Alarming Reality: A Court at Half Its Strength

As of September 1, 2026, the Jharkhand High Court, which is constitutionally sanctioned to have 25 judges, is functioning with merely 13. This leaves 12 positions vacant—a staggering 48% deficit.

In practical terms, the court is operating at just over half its capacity. Every working judge is now carrying the burden meant for two. This is not merely a statistical anomaly; it is a systemic constraint that places the Jharkhand High Court among the most understaffed constitutional courts in the country.

 
The Weight of Pending Justice

The National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) records 76,301 pending cases as of September 1, 2026—comprising 34,016 civil matters and 39,585 criminal cases.

To put this into perspective, each of the 13 sitting judges is handling an average of nearly 5,870 pending cases—a mathematical impossibility for delivering swift, careful, and meaningful justice. The backlog is not abstract; it represents real lives, real disputes, and real suffering waiting for resolution. This data, placed before Parliament, confirms that the Jharkhand High Court carries a significantly heavier judicial burden than several other High Courts, making the case for urgent intervention undeniable.

 
The Tribal Crisis: Justice Delayed is Livelihood Denied

Jharkhand is a state where a significant portion of the population belongs to Scheduled Tribes—communities that are predominantly poor, agrarian, and forest-dependent. For them, the High Court is often the last refuge against exploitation, land grabbing, and wrongful incarceration.

When a tribal farmer's ancestral land is encroached upon, a delayed judgment does not merely mean a postponed hearing—it means eviction, displacement, and the loss of generational livelihood. When a tribal youth is arrested for a offence, a delayed bail application or an appeal translates to months or years of rotting in overcrowded jails, separated from family and livelihood. The court, in its current depleted state, struggles to effectively monitor the plight of undertrials, who are disproportionately represented in Jharkhand's prisons. This is not a failure of the judges; it is a systemic collapse that only adequate strength can remedy.

 
The Neglect of the Local Bar: A Seven-Year Silence

For the legal fraternity, there is an additional, deeply disheartening concern. It has been over seven years (since 2019) since the Collegium elevated advocates from the Bar to the Bench. This prolonged neglect deprives the Bench of seasoned practitioners who possess deep-rooted knowledge of regional customary laws, tribal tenancy, and forest rights—expertise that is crucial for adjudicating the state's unique disputes.

 
The Human Cost: What Litigants and Citizens Endure

From the perspective of the common litigant and the general public, the consequences of this crisis are palpable and devastating:

Justice Delayed Becomes Justice Denied:  Countless criminal appeals, urgent bail pleas, and critical land disputes linger indefinitely, leaving lives in limbo.

Faith in the System Erodes: When a poor, marginalized litigant watches his case adjourned repeatedly—not because of his fault, but due to a shortage of judges—he begins to believe that the system is indifferent to his suffering and accessible only to the rich and influential.

The Burden on the Bench: The existing judges, despite their best efforts, are overworked and stretched thin. Exhaustion sets in, and rushed hearings can inadvertently compromise the depth of judicial scrutiny.
 
Our Humble Prayer

In light of the above, we, the undersigned, humbly yet earnestly beseech your esteemed Collegium:

1. To expedite the recommendation process with transparency and promptness, thereby restoring the faith of the public and the Bar in the appointment mechanism.
2. To immediately fill all 12 vacant positions in the Jharkhand High Court, prioritizing this process on a time-bound basis to restore the court's functional capacity.

Yours sincerely,

We, the undersigned advocates, litigants, professionals, and citizens of India