Delhi district courts gripping with staff vacancies, piling case load reveals RTI

A shortage of staff in Delhi’s district courts has left 1,711 posts vacant against a sanctioned strength of 8,575 possibly due to stagnation in promotions.

A shortage of court staff in Delhi’s district courts has left 1,711 posts vacant against a sanctioned strength of 8,575, with employees’ associations flagging vacancies in senior administrative positions and years-long stagnation in promotions, according to an RTI reply and a memorandum submitted to Delhi’s law minister Kapil Mishra.

The Delhi district courts' data shows 277 vacancies among 709 sanctioned senior judicial assistant posts and 454 vacancies among 1,662 sanctioned junior judicial assistant posts. (ANI/Representational)

The RTI reply shows 6,864 officials in position as on June 30, 2026. Among administrative posts, all 10 sanctioned posts of senior administrative officer are vacant, while 45 of the 50 sanctioned administrative officer (judicial) posts are vacant.

The data also shows 277 vacancies among 709 sanctioned senior judicial assistant posts and 454 vacancies among 1,662 sanctioned junior judicial assistant posts.

The shortage comes amid rising cases pendency. The RTI reply shows that cases pending in Delhi’s district courts increased from 1,063,202 at the end of 2009 to 1,685,990 as on May 31, 2026. Pendency fell to 459,267 in 2014 before rising to 1,624,377 in 2025 with a year-on-year increase.

Employees' body lists probable causes

In a memorandum to the law minister on Sunday, the association said a significant number of junior judicial assistants had completed about 17 years of service without any promotion, citing the non-conduct of mandatory departmental promotional examinations and delays in cadre restructuring.

Arun Yadav, general secretary of DSCEWA and the RTI applicant, said the prolonged vacancies in senior administrative positions had contributed to a lack of a clear promotional path.

“In an institution, if top decision-making administration is vacant since 2012, 15 years at a stretch, how can they work? People are resigning and taking VRS due to this stagnation,” Yadav said.

The staffing issue also figures in a High Court judgment. In its May 9, 2014, the High Court noted that a 1995 work-study report had found insufficient staff made it difficult for dealing assistants to effectively manage their seats and keep track of files. The court recorded that on February 28, 2008, the then Chief Justice had suggested a dealing seat should not have more than 500 files, though employees are handling upto 5000 files.

The association members said that the law minister has assured that he will take up the issues in an upcoming meeting with the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court and take them up on priority.

The minister’s office did not respond to queries.