KARSTEN MIRANDA
karsten@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: Goa’s District and Subordinate courts are facing a worsening crisis, with nearly one-third of judicial positions remaining unfilled, according to information revealed in a recent Legislative Assembly session. Law and Judiciary Minister Aleixo Sequeira provided this data in response to a Legislative Assembly Question (LAQ) raised by Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco.
In North Goa, nine out of 33 judicial posts in the District and Subordinate Courts remain vacant, while South Goa faces a far more critical situation with 10 out of 27 positions unfilled. Combined, this means 19 out of 60 judicial posts across Goa’s lower courts are currently vacant, severely impacting the administration of justice.
The vacancy situation is particularly acute for Civil Judge, Junior Division and Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) positions. In North Goa, nine of these positions remain unfilled against a sanctioned strength of 15, with only six currently working and one judge undergoing training. In South Goa, 6 out of 12 sanctioned Civil Judge, Junior Division and JMFC positions are vacant.
More concerning is the complete absence of functioning Ad-Hoc District Judges (Fast Track Court Judges) in South Goa, with both sanctioned positions remaining unfilled. Additionally, 2 out of 4 District Judge positions in South Goa are vacant, and one Senior Civil Judge and CJM/JMFC is currently under suspension since December 31, 2023.
This judicial vacuum has contributed to a massive backlog of cases. North Goa's District and Subordinate courts are currently grappling with 42,680 pending cases, while South Goa has 17,097 cases awaiting resolution. Combined, there are nearly 60,000 pending cases across Goa’s lower judiciary.
The Court of Civil Judge Senior Division and JMFC ‘B’ Court at Mapusa holds the distinction of having the highest number of pending cases in the State with 3,002 matters awaiting resolution, including 1,606 civil cases and 1,396 criminal cases.
When questioned about steps taken to address these vacancies, Sequeira informed the Assembly that recruitment efforts have been ongoing. For the year 2020, three posts of Civil Judge Junior Division and JMFC were advertised in 2022, resulting in only one candidate being appointed in July 2024.
Eleven similar positions for 2023 were advertised in 2024, with a select list prepared in January 2025. Four additional posts for 2024 were advertised last year with recruitment still in process, along with one District Judge position.
According to the LAQ reply, the High Court is actively monitoring the disposal rate of all courts in Goa.
However, a senior lawyer based in Margao noted that filling vacancies would only partially resolve the problem. “Litigants get frustrated because of the long delays in delivery of justice. Many courts in Margao, for example, are without judges. The strength of the High Court of Bombay at Goa may also need to be increased in view of the pendency,” the lawyer stated, pointing to growing public disillusionment with the judicial system.
Further complicating matters, separate information obtained from a document downloaded from the High Court’s website reveals that for the District Judge position currently under recruitment, none of the 10 candidates who qualified for the main examination obtained the minimum qualifying marks, meaning this critical vacancy will remain unfilled for the foreseeable future.
The significant judicial vacancies continue to hamper efficient case resolution, leaving thousands of Goans waiting for justice in the District and Subordinate courts.