Frequent transfers diminishing bench strength, say Telangana high court advocates

Hyderabad: Advocates at the Telangana high court advocates association (THCAA) have expressed concern over the rising number of judicial transfers, which they say is weakening the bench’s numerical strength and undermining judicial efficiency.

In the past two years, judicial authorities in Delhi have recommended the transfer of nine sitting judges from the Telangana high court. While these vacancies were expected to be offset by bringing in an equal number of judges from other high courts, only three judges were transferred into Telangana during this period.

If the latest recommendations by the Supreme Court collegium are implemented, the number of judges in the Telangana high court could drop further to just 28—well below the sanctioned strength of 42. This full strength has never been achieved, with retirements and transfers continually chipping away at the bench.

Compounding the issue is the prolonged delay in processing the list of advocates recommended by the high court for elevation. Despite being submitted over a year ago, the list remains in limbo, with no clarity or updates provided by the authorities. “The system has become so discreet and non-transparent, no one knows what happened to the panel of names recommended by the high court,” a senior advocate said.

Former THCAA president V Raghunath voiced the collective frustration of the legal community: “When the Telangana high court is making commendable progress in clearing its case backlog, we expect the authorities to strengthen the institution—not weaken it.”

Advocates are urging judicial and central authorities to expedite appointments and bring greater transparency to the elevation process, in the interest of ensuring timely justice and maintaining institutional integrity.