CJI Surya Kant said bar associations blocked efforts to appoint retired judges temporarily. The setback hampers attempts to reduce the mounting judicial backlog.Image used for representational purposes onlyNewdelhi,Oct 29, 2026 19:24 ISTChief Justice of India Surya Kant on Thursday said opposition from bar associations had stalled the Supreme Court's attempt to appoint retired judges as temporary judges in high courts to help reduce the backlog of cases, news agency Press Trust of India reported.The Chief Justice said the court had sought to revive the practice, but bar associations passed resolutions against the move.

He made the remarks while hearing a case concerning the seniority of judicial officers in Rajasthan."Chief Justice Bobde, Justice Kaul and my bench, we virtually revived the practice of appointing ad hoc judges from among retired judges. We thought we would bring this practice into vogue," the CJI said."But opposition from bar associations prevented the initiative from taking off... they started passing resolutions... no chief justice can risk annoying the Bar," he added.

The bench comprised the CJI and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana. Article 224A of the Constitution allows retired high court judges to be temporarily reappointed as judges of high courts.According to PTI, the CJI also recalled that two judicial officers in Haryana and Punjab had resigned after serving for seven to eight years because of new pension rules. "Very bright officers who were practising advocates in the high court.

They went, and after seven years, eight years, they resigned. One of them met me," the CJI said."I asked him, 'What have you done?' He said, 'Sir, because of the new pension rules, after my retirement, I will not get more than Rs 25,000 as pension.

How do you think I am going to survive? Better I resume my practice again'," he recalled.Senior advocate P S Patwalia, appearing in the case, requested the court to examine the pension issue concerning judicial officers.Amid a backlog of more than 18 lakh criminal cases, the Supreme Court had on January 30 last year allowed high courts to appoint temporary judges up to 10 per cent of their total sanctioned strength.

The CJI said, however, that opposition from bar associations had prevented the initiative from taking off.- Ends