The fresh appointments -- six in the Madras High Court and two each in the high courts of Chhattisgarh and Punjab and Haryana-- come at a time when the government and the judiciary continue to have differences over a key document which guides nomination of judges to the Supreme Court and the 24 high courts.
Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had recently said that appointment of judges will continue despite non finalisation of memorandum of procedure.
As on May 1, the 24 high courts have 450 vacancies. While the sanctioned strength is 1,079, the working strength is 629 judges.