Efforts on to fill vacancies of apex court judges: CJI

Chief Justice of India J S Khehar on Wednesday said efforts would be made to fill vacancies of judges in the Supreme Court as it was affecting routine work.

The apex court currently has 23 judges against the sanctioned strength of 31. The observations were made when senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan sought an early hearing of a civil appeal pertaining to an inter-state dispute.

“We are so short of strength that it is difficult to manage day-to-day affairs,” said a bench also comprising Justice D Y Chandrachud.

“We will increase our strength. Wait till the month end,” the bench said.

 The recent retirement of CJI T S Thakur, who had been raising the issue of vacancies in the judiciary, has reduced the strength of the apex court bench to 23.