Allahabad High Court Warns UP Government Over Delays in Creating Additional Courts

The Allahabad High Court has strongly criticised the Uttar Pradesh government for repeatedly delaying the creation of additional courts, observing that “baseless” bureaucratic queries appeared designed to stall long-pending judicial infrastructure reforms. The Court warned that if a final decision is not taken by July 8, 2026, the State’s Chief Secretary and Legal Remembrancer would have to appear personally before the bench.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice Arun Bhansali and Justice Jaspreet Singh made the observations while hearing a suo motu public interest litigation concerning the creation of additional courts in Uttar Pradesh.

The issue traces back to directions issued by the Supreme Court of India in Imtiyaz Ahmad v. State of U.P. (2017), where concerns regarding mounting case pendency and inadequate judicial infrastructure were highlighted. Despite repeated hearings, affidavits, and judicial directions since April 2025, the High Court noted that the State had still failed to complete the process for establishing even 900 additional courts.

During the hearing, the Legal Remembrancer informed the Court that the process for creating 900 courts had already been undertaken. However, authorities had now raised a fresh query asking why only 900 courts were proposed and why 2,693 courts should not instead be created. The bench reacted sharply, remarking that such repeated objections lacked justification and appeared aimed solely at delaying implementation.

The Court observed that although the creation of even 900 courts had remained pending for years, authorities continued to raise one objection after another rather than taking concrete steps toward strengthening judicial infrastructure. Calling the latest query “surprising,” the bench stated that the conduct of the authorities could not be countenanced.

Although visibly dissatisfied with the State’s approach, the Court accepted the request of the Additional Advocate General for further time and granted what it described as a “last opportunity” to complete the exercise. The matter has now been listed for July 8, 2026.

Importantly, the bench made it clear that if no final decision is taken before the next hearing, both the Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh and the Legal Remembrancer must remain personally present before the Court.

The order reflects growing judicial concern over delays in expanding court infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh, one of the country’s most burdened judicial systems, where pendency continues to place enormous strain on access to timely justice.