The Supreme Court on Thursday voiced serious concern over the growing backlog of criminal appeals in High Courts and called upon the Central Government to act swiftly on pending Collegium recommendations for judicial appointments.

A Bench comprising Justices Abhay S. Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan highlighted the urgency of the situation, noting that several recommendations made by the Supreme Court Collegium remain pending with the Centre.

"Two days ago, recommendations for High Court judges were uploaded on the Supreme Court website. Twelve of these, from 2025 alone, are still awaiting action. The Centre must process these at the earliest," the bench observed.

The Court underscored how significant judge vacancies across High Courts are contributing to the rising pendency of criminal appeals. According to data from the Department of Justice, the Allahabad High Court—facing over 2.7 lakh pending criminal appeals—operates with just 88 judges against a sanctioned strength of 160. The Bombay High Court has 65 judges for 94 sanctioned posts, while the Calcutta High Court has 46 judges against a sanctioned strength of 72.

The bench also referred to official data showing that 29 Collegium recommendations made since November 2022 remain pending with the Central Government. This includes four from 2023, thirteen from 2024, and twelve from 2025, in addition to reiterated proposals.

These observations were made during the Court’s consideration of a detailed note submitted by Amicus Curiae and Senior Advocate Liz Matthew. The note revealed that the total number of pending criminal appeals in High Courts stood at 7,24,192 as of March 22, 2025.

Emphasising that such delays undermine access to justice, the Court directed all High Courts to formulate and submit comprehensive action plans within four weeks to address the backlog.

To improve case management, the Supreme Court suggested several measures, including increased use of virtual hearings, physical verification of court records, and adoption of AI-based tools like the Supreme Court Vidhik Anuvaad Software (SUVAS) to expedite translations. It also recommended setting up dedicated benches for criminal appeals and ensuring that legal aid is provided swiftly when an accused or their counsel fails to cooperate.

The Court’s observations reflect a push for urgent systemic reforms to address long-standing issues in the judiciary and ensure timely justice delivery.