New Delhi, Jan 30 (IANS): The Supreme Court on Thursday modified an earlier apex court order regulating the timeline and conditions of appointment of ad hoc judges in High Courts under Article 224A of the Constitution.

A Special Bench, headed by CJI Sanjiv Khanna and comprising Justices B.R. Gavai and Surya Kant, stressed the filing of vacancies to tackle the rising backlog of pending cases.

Article 224A empowers the President to make temporary appointments of judges in case the number of judges in a particular High Court is insufficient.

The bench kept in abeyance the earlier observations which required that appointment of ad hoc judges should not be made unless 80 per cent of the sanctioned strength is already working or recommended. It directed that the strength of ad hoc judges, who will primarily act as puisne judges on criminal benches, should not exceed 10 per cent of the sanctioned strength.

It said that the existing Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) will also apply to these appointments. It granted liberty to parties to file applications if further directions are needed.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had said that the overwhelming pendency required the appointment of ad hoc judges, up to a maximum of five, in each of the 25 High Courts to clear the massive backlog. It had said that Chief Justices of the High Courts could initiate the process for the appointment of ad hoc judges only after they have already made recommendations for permanent judges for more than 20 per cent of the regular vacancies.

The slew of directions were passed on a PIL of NGO Lok Prahari seeking the appointment of ad hoc judges in High Courts under Article 224A in order to reduce the pendency of cases.