Judicial Reforms in Subordinate courts in Punjab

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Last Updated: 1 November 2026

31 Oct 2026: Cabinet created 385 posts for 35 exclusive NDPS courts[1]
-- 35 Additional District and Sessions Judges
-- 35 Assistant District Attorneys
-- 315 supporting staff

Oct 2023: 159 Junior Judges (PCS-J) recruitment completed[2]

Dreams of AAM AADMI underprivileged get wings
-- The daughters of a pick-up tempo driver, traffic police constable and a bus driver set to become judges[3]
-- 13 underprivileged students set to be judges under one teacher's tutelage include an auto driver’s daughter, a labourer’s daughter from Sangrur, daughter of a security guard, another of a factory worker, a farmer’s daughter from Pathankot etc[4]

24 June 2022 (Punjab Cabinet): Total 810 posts created for subordinate courts, including additional District/Session Judges & Civil Judges[5]

Below the High Court, other courts make up the subordinate judiciary system known as subordinate courts

1. Exclusive NDPS courts[1:1]

  • 35 exclusive NDPS courts approved by Cabinet (31 Oct 2026, first phase)
    • 385 posts: 35 Additional District and Sessions Judges, 35 Assistant District Attorneys and 315 supporting staff
    • About ₹75 crore sanctioned, including infrastructure costs
    • Existing designated courts continue until the new courts are fully operational

Why dedicated courts are needed (31 Oct 2026)

  • About 20,000 NDPS cases registered and about 27,000 arrests every year
  • About 12,000 cases tried by Sessions Courts, but only about 5,700 disposed of every year
  • 52,577 cases pending (31 Aug 2026)
  • Average disposal takes about 8 years
  • High Court assessed that the backlog can be cleared in 5 to 7 years

Jump in Conviction Rate of Drug cases

2. New Posts created[5:1]

  • New 25 additional District/Session Judges: Punjab Govt created new 25 additional District/Session Judge positions along with support staff in the state
  • New 80 Civil Judges: Punjab Govt created new 80 Civil Judges positions along with support staff in the state

3. Filling Judges vacancies

Punjab get 13 Additional District & Session Judges[6]

  • Punjab Judicial officers were promoted to fill these vacancies on 25 April 2023

159 Junior Judges PCS(J) recuitment completed in Oct 2023[2:1]

To expedite recruiting, 80 posts through High Court direct

  • 27 August 2022: new Judicial Officers, Punjab Cabinet decided to fill 80 posts through Punjab & Haryana High Court by bringing it out of the purview of Punjab Public Service Commission[7]

4. 2nd National Judicial Pay Commission Implemented

  • The Cabinet gave ex-post facto approval to revise the pay of Judicial Officers on 19 June 2023[8]

5. Regularised Contractual positions[9]

  • 09 March 2024: 3842 temporary posts of judicial wing converted into Permanent, from Subordinate Courts across the state

6. Fast track courts on POSCO[9:1]

  • 2 Fast Track Special Courts in districts Sangrur and Tarn Taran created to dispose off cases pertaining to Protection of Children against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Rape
  • To create 2 new posts of Additional District and Sessions Judge along with 18 supporting staff for these courts.

7. Status (till Feb 2023)[10]

9.23 Lakh Pending cases

New recruitments of 159 has been completed in Oct 2023

Total Sanctioned Posts Filled Vacant %Vacant
797 589 208 26.2%

References:

  1. https://www.babushahi.com/full-news.php?id=229126 (Punjab Govt Press Release, 31 Oct 2026) ↩︎ ↩︎

  2. https://www.ppsc.gov.in/Advertisement/detailadv.aspx?advno=2022103&postid=211 ↩︎ ↩︎

  3. https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/pcs-judicial-results-punjab-civil-services-judges-magistrates-8980770/ ↩︎

  4. https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/underprivileged-punjab-students-civil-services-judicial-exam-free-coaching-advocate-8984913/ ↩︎

  5. https://www.babushahi.com/full-news.php?id=147538 ↩︎ ↩︎

  6. https://www.babushahi.com/transfers.php?id=163649 ↩︎

  7. https://yespunjab.com/punjab-cabinet-accords-approval-for-filling-up-359-posts-in-agriculture-dept-and-80-posts-of-civil-judges/ ↩︎

  8. https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/punjab-cabinet-additional-posts-assistant-professors-govt-colleges-8673845/ ↩︎

  9. https://www.babushahi.com/full-news.php?id=180485 ↩︎ ↩︎

  10. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/39-judges-posts-vacant-14l-cases-pending-in-hry/articleshow/97788714.cms?from=mdr ↩︎

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