The state law department should settle its disputes regarding appointment of judges for subordinate courts with the high court administration, Calcutta High Court said on Tuesday.

“Filling up vacant posts of judges is essential for early disposal of Pocso (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) cases,” Justice Joymalya Bagchi told state law secretary Siddhartha Roy Chowdhury.

The high court administration had recommended 16 names for appointment to subordinate courts but the state objected to some.

About a month ago, the bench of Justice Bagchi and Justice Suvra Ghosh got to know during a hearing that the trial against a Pocso accused had been stalled for want of judges in subordinate courts.

The bench had directed the state law minister to file a report stating why his government had not appointed judges to vacant posts in subordinate courts across Bengal.

The secretary’s affidavit did not satisfy the bench and the judges ordered him to be in court on Tuesday. He told the court about the government’s reservations against some candidates on the court’s list.

Justice Bagchi then asked him to talk to the high court administration at the earliest to settle the matter.