With over half the trial courts in Margao lying vacant for months, the South Goa Advocates Association (SGAA) has decided to approach the High Court of Bombay at Goa through a writ petition, urging urgent appointments to restore the functioning of one of the state’s busiest judicial complexes.
Following an extraordinary meeting chaired by association president Prasad Naik, the SGAA said the prolonged shortage of presiding judges has brought proceedings in Margao to a near-standstill, especially in civil matters. “Of the ten trial courts in Margao catering to Salcete taluka, six are currently without judges,” Naik told reporters. “It’s a situation that’s been allowed to fester for far too long.”
The Margao court complex has a total of ten courts—four presided over by senior civil judges and six by junior civil judges. While one of the four senior civil judge courts is non-functional, the crisis is even more severe at the junior level, where only one out of six courts currently has a presiding officer.
“This has caused frequent adjournments, mounting case pendency, and increasing frustration among litigants and lawyers. For the public, it effectively amounts to denial of justice,” Naik said. “We have exhausted all administrative avenues. It’s now time for judicial intervention.”
The SGAA had earlier submitted a detailed representation to the Chief Justice of the High Court in March, flagging the crisis and underlining how 60% of Margao’s courts being idle was unacceptable—especially for a taluka that serves as Goa’s commercial capital. But with no corrective measures taken so far, the association now plans to move court seeking time-bound appointments.
In its upcoming writ petition, the SGAA will request the High Court to issue directions to the state government and court administration to immediately fill vacant posts and restore full functioning of the trial courts in South Goa.
The association also pointed to similar concerns in Canacona, where the single junior civil judge is currently on maternity leave. “Litigants from Canacona now have to bring their urgent matters to Margao, where a judge is holding additional charge,” Naik said. “That’s nearly 40 kilometres away and adds substantial burden on both litigants and lawyers.”
He said these kinds of logistical hurdles are not just inconveniences—they actively limit access to justice and worsen delays. “There’s a ripple effect. The judges who are still holding court are burdened with additional responsibilities, further slowing down proceedings.”