Kerala High Court Achieves Remarkable Case Disposal Rate in 2023 Despite Judge Shortage, Justice P.V. Kunhikrishnan Leads in Case Clearance.
In an impressive display of judicial efficiency, the Kerala High Court has reported a significant increase in its Case Clearance Rate (CCR) for the year 2023, despite operating with fewer judges than its sanctioned strength. The High Court, which has a sanctioned strength of 47 judges, currently functions with 36 judges and 2068 staff members. This achievement is noteworthy, especially considering the challenges posed by limited judicial resources.
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In 2023, the Kerala High Court disposed of 86,700 cases out of the 98,985 filed, marking a CCR of 88 percent. This is a notable improvement from 2022, where the CCR was 85 percent with 78,280 cases disposed of out of 92,030 filed. The district judiciary of the state also mirrored this trend, disposing of 11,20,025 cases in 2023, compared to 9,58,021 in 2022, thus achieving a CCR of 116 percent in 2023, up from 112 percent in 2022.
Justice P.V. Kunhikrishnan emerged as the top judge in terms of case disposals in 2023, followed by a commendable list of judges including Justice Devan Ramachandran, Justice Gopinath P, Justice Mohammed Nias CP, Justice N Nagaresh, Justice Ziyad Rahman, Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas, Justice C S Dias, Justice Anu Sivaraman, and Justice T.R. Ravi.
Despite these achievements, the pendency of cases remains a concern. As of 2023, a total of 2,54,443 cases are pending before the High Court, including 15 cases that are over thirty years old and 919 cases aged between 21-30 years. The district judiciary faces a similar challenge, with 18,04,664 cases pending, including 129 cases over thirty years old and 689 cases between 21-30 years old.
In a significant move to make judicial proceedings more accessible, the Kerala High Court launched the Malayalam version of the Indian Law Report on its website in 2023. This initiative aims to make judgments available in the regional language, thereby enhancing the common man’s understanding of legal rulings.
The Kerala Legal Service Authority (KeLSA) played a pivotal role in 2023 by providing legal assistance to 29,200 people and conducting 5,867 legal awareness programs. KeLSA introduced new projects like the Child Legal Assistance Programme (CLAP), SAMVADA, and the Victim Rights Centre (VRC), focusing on child support, civic sense among children, and fair treatment for victims, respectively. Additionally, KeLSA launched SADGAMAYA for legal awareness and public grievance redressal, along with an Anti-Narcotics Campaign.
The Kerala State Mediation and Conciliation Centre (KSMCC) also made significant contributions, with 77 mediation centers, 783 mediators, and 20 mediator trainers. In 2023, 45,201 cases were referred to the KSMCC, with 14,674 cases settled between January and November.
This comprehensive approach by the Kerala High Court and associated bodies towards case disposal and legal awareness signifies a robust effort in addressing judicial challenges and enhancing the legal system’s efficiency in the state.
