Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has written to the chief justices of all High Courts, calling for urgent steps to address rising judicial vacancies and emphasising the need to prioritise the elevation of women judges to improve diversity in the higher judiciary.

In his communication, the CJI flagged the growing number of vacancies across high courts and urged collegiums to expedite recommendations not only for existing vacancies but also for anticipated ones. He cautioned that delays at the high court level have a cascading impact on the entire appointments process, ultimately affecting the functioning of the judiciary.

Highlighting the importance of timely action, the CJI noted that the appointments process involves multiple stages including inputs from State Governments, the Intelligence Bureau, the Supreme Court Collegium, and the Union Government making early initiation by high courts crucial.