Nearly 62,000 cases have been pending for over 30 years in various high courts, with some dating back as far as 1952, according to official data
Among these, three cases from 1952 remain unresolved—two in the Calcutta High Court and one in the Madras High Court. Additionally, four cases have been pending since 1954, and nine since 1955.
At a recent national conference of the district judiciary, President Droupadi Murmu highlighted the need for a shift away from the judiciary’s “culture of adjournments.” She emphasized that the long-standing backlog of cases presents a significant challenge, urging stakeholders to prioritize finding solutions.
Currently, 58.59 lakh cases are pending in high courts, including 42.64 lakh civil cases and 15.94 lakh criminal cases. The National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) reports that approximately 2.45 lakh cases have been pending for 20 to 30 years.
During the same event, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal addressed the persistent issue of delayed justice, noting the ministry’s analysis of cases pending for five, 10, 15, 20, and 30 years. He pointed out that many cases remain unresolved due to the lack of engagement from involved parties, estimating that 25-30% of these cases could be resolved quickly.
He also acknowledged that some high courts have taken proactive measures, such as implementing “ageing analysis” and “clubbing of similar cases,” to expedite case resolutions. Across all levels of the judiciary, including district courts, high courts, and the Supreme Court, over five crore cases remain pending.
(With inputs from agency)
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