According to the Judges of India Report 2022, the judiciary of Tamil Nadu retained the top position among large and medium-sized states, while Sikkim retained its position among small states for the third consecutive year.
The third edition of the report, published on April 4, listed the judiciary in 18 large and medium-sized states with a population of more than 10 million and 7 small states with a population of less than 10 million. The report was prepared by representatives of several civil organizations, including the Center for Social Justice, DAKSH, Common Cause, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, TISS-Prayas and the Vidhi Center for Legal Policy. According to the report, Karnataka improved the most, rising from twelfth to second place. Developments in Karnataka included reducing the vacancy rate of Supreme Court judges from 50% to 21%, increasing the number of women judges in lower courts and increasing per capita consumption.
Rajasthan, on the other hand, dropped seven places from tenth to seventeenth as the posts of Supreme Court and District Court judges were still vacant, compounded by a lack of courtrooms. Punjab fell from the second position to the third due to the increase in the number of vacancies for Supreme Court employees. Among small states, Tripura rose from sixth to second position as the state sought to fill judicial vacancies in district courts and staff posts in high courts.
The state has also seen an increase in the number of female district court judges and a higher caseload rate. Meghalaya also improved its ranking from seventh to fifth place, improving per capita spending after spending cuts, filling judicial vacancies and increasing the number of women in the district court. However, Himachal Pradesh fell from second to sixth position due to increased vacancies of Supreme Court judges and staff, reduced number of inspections and lack of courtrooms. Goa dropped from fourth to seventh place due to similar reasons.
