The Supreme Court is facing a near-record high of 82,989 pending cases, according to the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG). Despite this, the top court successfully disposed of 37,259 cases, maintaining an impressive disposal rate of 94.92%.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court launched various IT initiatives to streamline its daily operations, yet the backlog of cases continues to grow. According to the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG), the number of pending cases reached an all-time high of 82,989.
Among these, 27,729 cases have been pending for less than a year. NJDG data also reveals that while 39,254 cases filed this year, the Supreme Court successfully resolved 37,259 cases, achieving a disposal rate of approximately 94.92%.
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Additionally, there are 1,130 cases awaiting hearing before a three-judge bench, 274 cases before a five-judge Constitution bench, 37 cases before a seven-judge Constitution bench, and 136 cases pending before a nine-judge bench.
Sources indicate that the primary cause of the current backlog is the accumulation of cases during the Covid-19 pandemic, which initially disrupted the judiciary’s operations.
Since taking office in November 2022, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud introduced several measures to enhance the efficiency of the registry, streamline case grouping, and improve the listing process. His term will continue until November of this year.
The report noted that
“Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi successfully convinced the government to increase the sanctioned number of judges from 31 to 34 in 2019 through a Parliamentary enactment. However, despite this expansion, the backlog of cases grew to 60,000. Under Chief Justice SA Bobde, the Covid-19 pandemic significantly disrupted the justice delivery system, temporarily halting proceedings before resuming virtually, which caused the backlog to escalate to 65,000.”
To aid in the resolution of pending cases, the Supreme Court organized a Special Lok Adalat from July 29 to August 3, 2024. Out of the 2,200 cases scheduled for hearing, 1,100 successfully resolved.
Last year, while ruling on a civil dispute dating back to 1982, the Supreme Court voiced concerns about the ongoing case backlog across the country. The court issued a set of directives aimed at expediting case resolution, warning that prolonged proceedings could undermine public trust in the legal system.
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The bench, which included Justices S Ravindra Bhat and Aravind Kumar, also issued eleven specific instructions to the High Courts to ensure swift trials and to closely monitor cases that have been pending for more than five years.
The judgment states,
“Litigants may become disillusioned when the legal process moves at a snail’s pace. We have expressed our anguish over some litigations that have been pending for 50 years, according to the National Judicial Data Grid. Some of the oldest cases are in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra, with some over 65 years old.”
The bench further noted,
“Litigants should be circumspect in seeking adjournments and should not mistake the kindness of presiding officers for weakness,”
As it issued 11 directives for high courts to establish committees and oversee the backlog of cases.
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