Punjab courts swamped with backlog of 8.4L cases

The district courts in Punjab are grappling with a massive backlog of 8,45,319 cases, with around 62 per cent of these pending for over a year. The judicial logjam is primarily attributed to the non-availability of counsel for litigants, creating a bottleneck in case disposal. Additionally, stays granted by the courts in their orders have further exacerbated pendency, stalling proceedings and delaying justice delivery.

The National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) reveals that 4,71,803 criminal cases involving life and liberty are pending in the courts across the state, with 2,89,825 matters more than a year old. The pending cases also include 3,73,516 civil matters, including 2,33,518 cases pending for over a year.

As many as 3,21,976 (38 per cent) cases, including 1,39,998 civil and 1,81,978 criminal matters, are pending for less than a year. Another 3,22,975 (38 per cent) are pending for one to three years, including 1,46,398 civil and 1,76,577 criminal matters.

The data further shows that 1,25,440 (15 per cent) cases have been pending for three to five years, including 51,694 civil and 73,746 criminal matters. Similarly, 71,624 (8 per cent) cases are pending for five to 10 years, with 33,263 civil and 38,361 criminal matters. The cases pending for over 10 years include 2,163 civil and 1,141 criminal matters, taking the total in this category to 3,304.

The data also reveals a distressing trend in the pendency of cases filed by women. As many as 96,396 (11 per cent) cases, filed by them are pending. These include 51,450 civil and 44,946 criminal matters.

In case of senior citizens, 86,963 (10 per cent) cases are awaiting decision, including 69,376 civil and 17,587 criminal matters. Furthermore, 19,016 pre-litigation and pre-trial matters remain unresolved, with 6,261 (32.92 per cent) of them older than one year.

The root causes of these delays present a worrying scenario. The data indicates that the non-availability of counsel is the leading cause, stalling 43,471 cases, followed by delays due to stay orders in 17,042 cases and witness-related issues in 11,401 cases.

Additional factors such as absconding accused, pending documentation, frequent appeals and lack of interest from litigants further aggravate the situation.

Punjab, with its 22 sessions divisions, faces prolonged adjournments and fewer hearings annually as a direct consequence of this pendency, impacting the protection of fundamental rights.

The rising number of undertrial prisoners in jails also reflects the cascading effects of delayed justice. The challenges underline the critical need for structural reforms, including prioritising cases with stay orders and enhancing document management systems for efficient case disposal. Persistent pendency not only strains the judicial system, but also raises concerns about timely justice delivery, underscoring the urgent need for systemic reforms and efficient case management strategies.