SC Collegium clears 5 ex-judges in ad hoc role for Allahabad HC, Pg10

Key Highlights:

• The Supreme Court Collegium approved the appointment of five former judges as ad hoc judges to the Allahabad High Court on February 3, 2026.
• The appointments are made under Article 224A of the Constitution, which allows for retired judges to be appointed to tackle case backlogs.
• The approved judges are Justices Mohd Faiz Alam Khan, Mohd Aslam, Syed Aftab Husain Rizvi, Renu Agarwal, and Jyotsna Sharma.
• The appointments are for a period of two years.

Detailed Insights:

• Article 224A is rarely invoked, but it allows the Chief Justice of a High Court to request a former judge to sit and act as a judge of the High Court with the President's consent.
• The Chief Justice of India had requested high court chief justices to recommend names for appointment as ad hoc judges to address the issue of pending cases.
• In April 2021, the Supreme Court issued directions allowing the appointment of ad hoc judges under Article 224A to manage the backlog of cases in high courts.
• While serving, ad hoc judges are entitled to allowances determined by the President and have the same jurisdiction, powers, and privileges as a judge of that High Court.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Ad hoc Judge: A retired judge appointed temporarily to a High Court to help manage pending cases.
• Collegium System: The system by which appointments and transfers of judges in the higher judiciary are decided.
• Article 224A: A provision in the Constitution that allows for the appointment of retired judges to High Courts.