The Advocates’ Association Bengaluru (AAB) has fired off a letter to Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, sounding a warning about the judicial logjam gripping the Karnataka High Court. Their plea? End the long pause on appointments and fill the growing bench vacuum—before justice itself goes missing in action.
According to the letter, the High Court is operating with just 45 judges while 17 seats lie cold and empty—despite a sanctioned strength of 62. The result: bench fatigue, docket backlogs, and litigants locked in a limbo of endless wait.
The association minced no words, pointing to a “virtual stagnation” in appointments that has left the three benches of the court overwhelmed. Judges, it noted, are “working overtime,” but the avalanche of cases—especially older civil matters—continues to grow unchecked.
The AAB particularly highlighted the plight of ‘B group’ writ matters, which it said aren’t even making it to the listing stage, leaving petitioners staring down a tunnel with no light at the end.
Their letter urged the CJI to not only accelerate pending appointments but also ensure that the new names recommended to the bench reflect “broad social representation.” In short, a bench that mirrors the people it serves.
In its concluding appeal, the AAB called on the Chief Justice of Karnataka and the state Collegium to act swiftly, before the court’s wheels grind any slower.
