High Court reduces backlog by 4K cases in 3 months despite judge shortage

Saurabh Malik

Chandigarh, April 26

The high court has surged forward in its battle against the staggering backlog of cases, bringing down the number of pending cases by nearly 4,000 in a mere three-month span despite daunting odds such as a scarcity of judges.

The figure may seem modest at first glance yet its significance is profound, especially considering the upward trend in case pendency. The success in reducing the backlog is notable as it encompasses matters that had remained unresolved for over three decades.

Information suggests that the total pendency has come down by 3,827 cases since January with the disposal surpassing the filing of matters. A substantial decline occurred in February, with a dip of 1,762 cases followed by a decrease of 1,373 matters the following month. It is believed that a nearly 10-day break in March may have hindered efforts to further reduce the caseload.

In a concerted effort to further address the persistent issue of pending cases, the high court has announced that all cases up to 1993 will now be listed in the urgent motion cause list. Listing cases in the urgent list ensures hearing of the matters.

As of now, 4,35,338 cases, including 1,62,209 criminal matters, are pending before the high court. National Judicial Data Grid — the monitoring tool to identify, manage and reduce pendency — indicates that 84,726 or 19.46 per cent pending cases fall in the bracket of one to three-year-old matters. Another 52,595 or 12.08 per cent are awaiting adjudication for last three to five years.