10,000 cases pending in SC for 10 yrs, 80,000 in HCs for 30 yrs
Despite significant investment, court infrastructure and technology have not reduced decades-old case pendency. Over ten thousand cases remain pending in the Supreme Court for more than ten years. High courts across India have over eighty thousand cases pending for over three decades. The law minister cited judicial responsibility and judicial vacancies as reasons for the delays. New laws and…
Recent data reveals that the Indian justice system is still grappling with a staggering backlog of cases, despite significant investments in court infrastructure and technology. As of now, over 10,000 cases in the Supreme Court have been pending for more than a decade, with 558 cases even lingering for over 20 years, and 26 cases waiting for resolution after 30 years. Similarly, in the 25 high courts across the nation, more than 80,000 cases remain unresolved for over three decades.
During a recent written response to a parliamentary query, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal expressed frustration over the slow pace of case disposal, placing the responsibility squarely on the judiciary. He emphasized that timely resolution of cases hinges on various factors, including the availability of judges and judicial officers, adequate court staff, physical infrastructure, the complexity of the case, evidence cooperation, stakeholder cooperation including lawyers, witnesses, litigants, and adherence to rules and procedures.
Despite the apex court's efforts in filling vacancies for Supreme Court judges, the situation in the 25 high courts and subordinate courts remains grim. Currently, these courts are facing a shortage of 341 judges out of a sanctioned strength of 1,122, and 7,311 judges out of a total approved strength of 30,868. The law minister attributed the large number of vacancies to the high courts' collegiums, which are responsible for recommending the appointment of judges.
The collegium consists of the chief justice and two senior-most judges of the high court. The Supreme Court's recommendation process, however, is initiated by the Chief Justice of India.
Meghwal further highlighted the establishment of Arrears Committees in all 25 high courts and district courts to tackle cases pending for more than five years. The government has also enacted various amendments to the Criminal Laws, Negotiable Instruments Act, Commercial Courts Act, and Specific Relief Act, aimed at reducing the backlog of cases.
Written by urgent.news from Times of India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
