Overview
- As of January 4, 2026, the Union law ministry reports receiving no recommendations from any of the 25 high court collegiums.
- The Supreme Court on January 30, 2025 authorized ad-hoc appointments of retired judges—capped at 10% of sanctioned strength—to accelerate disposal of over 18 lakh pending criminal cases.
- Courts were directed to limit such appointments to two to five per high court, with ad-hoc judges hearing criminal appeals on benches presided over by sitting judges.
- The appointment pathway mirrors regular judicial appointments: high court collegiums recommend to the Department of Justice, which forwards to the Supreme Court Collegium for approval, followed by the President’s assent without a formal warrant.
- Article 224A permits these ad-hoc postings, a rarely used provision with only one recorded precedent, and a later Supreme Court bench relaxed earlier conditions including the 80% sanctioned-strength bar.