Established in 1866, the Allahabad High Court has been a symbol of India’s judicial heritage. It has played a pivotal role in shaping constitutional values, delivering landmark judgments, and producing legal legends like Motilal Nehru and former Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud. For decades, it was seen as an institution that upheld justice without fear or favour.
But recent years have painted a very different picture. A series of controversial rulings, chronic judicial delays, allegations of nepotism, and visible caste and gender biases have raised deep concerns. Even the Supreme Court has stepped in to correct judgments passed here. Lawyers, citizens, and students are now asking the same uncomfortable question: has the Allahabad High Court lost its way?
Overwhelming Backlog
The Allahabad High Court currently has over 1.14 million pending cases, according to official records. Out of these, more than 929,000 are pending at the main bench in Prayagraj, and over 212,000 at the Lucknow bench. With only 79 judges working out of a sanctioned strength of 160, this means that nearly half of the judge positions are vacant.
Each judge is handling between 15,000 and 20,000 cases. This is a workload no human can manage properly. A former judge asks, “Is it a human task to be able to decide on 15,000 cases in a day?”
Consequently, this backlog is making timely justice delivery increasingly unattainable. For people like Avdhesh Singh, who has been fighting a land dispute case since 1998, the court is a never-ending loop. “I had promised my grandfather I would fight for his land, but I have never even seen a judge,” he says in conversation with The Print. His story is echoed by lakhs of litigants trapped in a broken system.
Nepotism In Appointments
The process of appointing judges in the Allahabad High Court has come under serious scrutiny.
In a shocking statistic, 36 out of 79 sitting judges in the Allahabad High Court are related to former judges or senior lawyers. That is a whopping 45%, the highest among all High Courts in India. It is not meritocracy, it is monarchy.
The Print reports that Bar Association President Anil Tiwari says appointments have become a matter of family legacy. “Do the sons and nephews of judges have a right to the constitutional post of a judge? Will a lawyer from a humble background never get a chance?” he asked at a lawyers’ conference.
And it is not just internal nepotism. The influx of judges from Delhi, who have never practised in Allahabad, is creating resentment. Tiwari calls them “Delhi imports”, accusing the system of ignoring capable local lawyers.
This favouritism also discourages talented lawyers from marginalised backgrounds, who feel the system is rigged against them. Transparency and merit-based selection are clearly missing.
When Law Feels Like Moral Policing
The court has passed several judgments that have shocked not just the public but even the Supreme Court. Imagine being 14, molested on the street, your pyjama strings ripped, your dignity crushed. Now imagine being told by a judge that this does not count as an “attempt to rape.” That is what happened in 2021 in Uttar Pradesh’s Kasganj district.
Justice Ram Manohar Narayan Mishra ruled that because the accused did not succeed in undressing or penetrating the girl and were stopped mid-act, the offence did not qualify as rape or even attempt to rape. He wrote, “It is also not stated by witnesses that due to this act of the accused, the victim got naked. The prosecution must establish that it had gone beyond the stage of preparation.”
Her family continues to face caste-based intimidation from the Thakur perpetrators. “The upper caste men constantly intimidate us. They enter our house and terrorise us,” her father, Mahaveer Yadav, said.
The Supreme Court later stayed the verdict and called it “insensitive and inhuman.” But the damage had already been done. The survivor, an OBC girl from Kasganj, said, “What is the point of a justice delivery system if a woman is humiliated like this in court?”
The problem is not just one verdict; it is a pattern. A judge claimed a woman “invited trouble” because she drank alcohol and voluntarily went to a man’s house. Another said that casual relationships often turn into false FIRs. Justice Arun Mishra lamented, “The prevalence of transient and uncommitted relationships raises critical questions about individual responsibility.”
In another jaw-dropping moment, Justice Shekhar Yadav denied bail to an accused and noted that “scientists believe cows inhale and exhale oxygen.” He also suggested that national honours be given to Lord Ram and Maharishi Valmiki. When judges start quoting pseudoscience in bail orders and making regressive social commentary in courtrooms, justice becomes unrecognisable.
Padma Singh, a chemistry lecturer and women’s rights activist, said it bluntly, “The anti-women judgments are reopening questions already settled by the women’s movement… Is the rot systemic or is there some ideological problem in the soil of Uttar Pradesh?”
Also Read: “Arranging Hair Disturbs The Functioning Of Court,” According To Pune Court
Exclusion And Discrimination
Diversity is a cornerstone of any fair institution, but the Allahabad High Court lacks it at every level. The majority of judges come from upper-caste backgrounds, especially the Brahmin and Thakur communities. Dalits and OBCs remain on the fringes, both as lawyers and judges.
One lawyer said that when Dalit advocates try to hide their caste using surnames like “Kumar,” senior lawyers often probe and ask, “What’s your real surname?” Some even refuse to shake hands once they find out. The Print quotes senior advocate KK Roy describing a judiciary “dominated by Thakur and Brahmin judges.” “Dalits are trying to climb the ladder, but inside the court, they have no presence,” he adds.
Gender inclusion is also abysmal. There is only one Scheduled Caste judge and no designated senior woman counsel in the court today. Female lawyers often find themselves sidelined and intimidated. One young lawyer said, “When we read what High Court justices really think through their orders, our hearts break.” In the corridors of the High Court, the names on chamber doors mostly read: Tripathi, Shukla, Srivastava, Singh. Female lawyers are few and far between. One said, “Neither have we heard about a designated senior woman counsel, nor have we seen her.”
Infrastructure And Inaccessibility
More than 50 per cent of the Allahabad High Court’s cases come from the 22 districts of western Uttar Pradesh. Yet, residents from these areas must travel all the way to Prayagraj for justice.
Despite repeated demands, no permanent bench has been created in western UP. This not only increases the burden on the main court but also creates barriers for people who cannot afford the time or money for long-distance travel. Legal experts have called for decentralising access to the court, but the proposal has faced resistance from local lawyers who fear losing influence.
Ideology In The Courtroom
The impartiality of judges is the foundation of public trust. However, when judges attend events by politically affiliated groups or express ideological biases in open court, that trust begins to collapse.
Some judges have been seen speaking at programs organised by the Akhil Bharatiya Adhivakta Parishad, a group associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Posters for these events are often placed on official court notice boards. This has made many lawyers uncomfortable. “How can you expect fairness from a judge who openly aligns with a political or religious organisation?” asked BM Singh, president of the BR Ambedkar Adhivakta Parishad.
Even casual comments in the courtroom now reflect ideology rather than legal reasoning. In one hearing, a judge reportedly said, “I have been looking for such a case, won’t tolerate injustice with Sanskrit under the double-engine government.” These are not stray comments. They show a disturbing blend of courtroom and campaign stage.
Can The Faith Be Restored?
The Allahabad High Court was once an institution that inspired awe and respect. Today, it stands at a crossroads. Pendency is at an all-time high. Judges are speaking like preachers. Nepotism and caste dominance are blocking fairness. And survivors are walking away from courtrooms more traumatised than before.
Rajeev Dhavan, a senior Supreme Court advocate, summed it up by saying, “A great court has lost its glory and effectiveness.” Rebuilding that glory will require more than apologies or transfers. The court needs structural reforms, fair appointments, caste and gender representation, and a complete revival of judicial sensitivity.
Until then, the people of Uttar Pradesh, especially the powerless, will continue to see the courtroom not as a place of justice, but as just another room where power wins.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: The Print, Live Law, Hindustan Times
Find the blogger: Katyayani Joshi
This post is tagged under: justice system, indian judiciary, allahabad high court, judicial reforms, court crisis, gender justice, caste discrimination, legal awareness, delayed justice, survivors speak, indian constitution, law and society, public interest, up news, legal system, rule of law, access to justice, legal accountability, social justice, human rights india
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