The entire judiciary is facing the problem of pendency and backlog of cases, and efficient functioning of the district judiciary is crucial in mitigating these challenges, Justice Sanjiv Khanna of the Supreme Court said Today (Aug 31). Speaking here at the ‘National Conference of the District Judiciary’, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Justice Khanna said the image of the judiciary for the common public is projected by the district court judges as mostly the citizens come in contact with these judges as parties or as witnesses.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!
New Delhi: The judiciary in India is grappling with the pervasive issues of case pendency and backlog, a challenge that requires an effective and efficient district judiciary for resolution, as emphasized by Supreme Court Justice Sanjiv Khanna on Saturday.
Speaking at the ‘National Conference of the District Judiciary’ which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Justice Khanna highlighted the pivotal role of district court judges in shaping the public’s perception of the judiciary. He stated,
“The image of the judiciary for the common public is projected by the district court judges, as mostly the citizens come in contact with these judges as parties or as witnesses.”
Justice Khanna pointed out a significant improvement in the disposal rates of cases in district courts since 2018.
“Today, the entire judiciary is faced with the problem of pendency and backlog of cases. Thus, efficient functioning of the district judiciary is crucial to mitigating these challenges,”
-he reiterated.
In his welcome address, Justice Khanna observed,
“To look at the brighter side, the data reveals that the disposal rates in the district courts have gone up considerably since 2018.”
He elaborated that in 2018, the percentage of civil cases disposed of, including previously pending ones, compared to freshly instituted cases was 93.15%. By 2023, this figure had risen dramatically, with the disposal rate for civil cases reaching 99.61%.
Similarly, he noted a substantial improvement in the handling of criminal cases.
“In 2018, the rate of disposal of criminal cases stood at 86.65 per cent, which increased to 95 per cent in 2023,”
-Justice Khanna said.
He further broke down the data from 2023, revealing that
“a closer look at the data from 2023 reveals the following interesting data points. The majority of the civil cases, amounting to 38.24 per cent, were disposed of within a year of being instituted and 71.82 per cent of criminal cases were disposed of in one year.”
He also commended the efforts of approximately 11 states that have successfully reduced case backlogs by disposing of more cases than were instituted within a year. To further address the issue of pendency, Justice Khanna outlined several initiatives, including the use of ‘Lok Adalats’ for resolving traffic challans and the establishment of e-courts to handle petty offenses.
He emphasized the importance of judicial impact assessment as a key strategy for effective case management across all judicial tiers.
“Judicial impact assessment, a much-discussed strategy for case management at all tiers of the judiciary, can be a powerful tool in assessing and enhancing the human resources and infrastructure in the judiciary,”
-he noted.
He stressed that understanding data is essential for identifying both successes and areas needing improvement, stating,
“Truly interacting with the data, we can know our successes and weak points. Ultimately, it is not the grandeur of the courtrooms or the sophistication of our technology that will define us. Rather, we will be defined by our unwavering commitment to delivering justice by enhancing access to justice, serving the people with compassion, empathy, and fairness.”
Justice Khanna also highlighted the often-overlooked yet critical role of the district judiciary within the larger judicial framework, noting that it is frequently overshadowed by the high courts and the Supreme Court.
“To put things in perspective, in the calendar year 2023, our district courts handled over 10 times more cases than the high courts,”
-he added.
Commenting on the significance of the conference, Justice Khanna described it as a
“historic congregation of approximately 800 judicial officers from across the country.”
He expressed deep gratitude for the presence of Prime Minister Modi, stating,
“We are deeply honoured by the presence of the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. He has consistently expressed his regard for the judiciary and has presented his vision for its evolution.”
Justice Khanna also acknowledged the technological contributions of Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, saying,
“The technological acumen of Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud has brought about path-breaking changes, and his commitment to the cause of justice and tireless efforts have brought the district judiciary to the forefront.”
In addition to Prime Minister Modi and Chief Justice Chandrachud, the event was attended by Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, Attorney General R Venkataramani, Supreme Court Bar Association President Kapil Sibal, and Bar Council of India Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra, who also addressed the gathering.
The two-day event, organized by the Supreme Court, will conclude with President Droupadi Murmu delivering the valedictory address on September 1. The President will also unveil the flag and insignia of the Supreme Court, according to a statement issued by the apex court on Friday.
Click Here to Read Previous Reports on Justice Sanjiv Khanna
Click Here to Read Previous Reports on CJI
FOLLOW US ON YOUTUBE FOR MORE LEGAL UPDATES
